Parallel
by My Whole Life Is Thunder
Summary: AU: Victoria is four years old and was born before Jimmy and Breena got married. When Jimmy and Breena's daughter is diagnosed with cancer their NCIS family rallies around them. All except for one. Little do they know the hold out is fighting his own battle. Will Victoria recover and just what is Tony hiding. Warning: Major Character Death and Childhood Cancer. Tiva!, Jimmy/Breena
1. Prologue

After finishing his tasks at NCIS, Jimmy climbed into his car and headed home. He could not wait to see his girls. His wife of almost three years Breena and their four year old daughter Victoria Elizabeth or as she insisted on being called lately Lizzie. Victoria had been a major surprise to the couple. Considering Breena and him had only been dating for three months when Breena found out that she was pregnant. It was a challenging blow to the relationship at first. He had even broken up with Breena for a few weeks. He wasn't being mean or wanting to get out of the responsibility. He just wasn't sure he was ready for fatherhood or would even make a competent father. He promised to help Breena out financially and be at the major events in his child's life but he wasn't ready for fatherhood. When Gibbs found out that Breena was pregnant however. He made Jimmy do the right thing and at least try to have a relationship with the woman that is now his wife. After finally convincing Breena to take him back. He asked her to marry him and they wed in May of two thousand and twelve. One year old Lizzie was right there with them. Of course he always had his doubts about fatherhood but when he saw his baby girl, it all went away. Lizzie was a beautiful child, her hair was blonde like her mothers but curly like her fathers and she had gray eyes like both of her parents. He walked through his front door and found Breena sitting on the couch.

"I'm home." Jimmy greeted.

"Hey" Breena replied.

"You sound upset, are you OK?" Jimmy asked.

"Just worried, Lizzie is still running a fever." Breena replied.

"How bad? She seemed to be getting better when I left this morning." Jimmy replied.

"One hundred" Breena replied.

"That's bad." Jimmy sighed.

"Yeah the Dr. Myers said he could work us in at ten-thirty tomorrow." Breena explained.

"That is a really serious fever. Shouldn't he see us today?" Jimmy asked.

"Unfortunately he is booked solid all day. We are lucky we got in tomorrow. With this flu that's going around and his regularly scheduled check-ups. He did say that if the fever hadn't broken or gone down by dinner of if it went up again to take her to the Emergency Room. Breena explained.

"OK, well I am going to call Dr. Mallard and see if he can check her out and give us some advice in the meantime." Jimmy replied.

"I'm going to go check on her again." Breena replied.

* * *

While Breena went upstairs to check on their daughter. Jimmy stayed downstairs and called Ducky. He was starting to worry about his daughter. She had gotten sick just before Christmas break. It was just a small bug that had been going around her pre school but Lizzie hadn't seemed to bounce back from it. The normally energetic toddler had suddenly become quite and tired easily. At first the Palmer's had just assumed it was growing pains or she was just wasn't adjusting well to her parents upcoming adoption of a new baby but she hadn't grown at all and she seemed excited about the baby. Then the night before she had started running a fever. Jimmy knew that something was wrong but he didn't want it to be true and he had a feeling Breena felt the same way. Hopefully his mentor would be able to give him some answers and put some of his fears to rest.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Mallard, it's me Jimmy."

"Oh Mr. Palmer! How is everything at home?"

"Not good Lizzie is still running a fever."

"Oh dear, has she seen the doctor?"

"Breena and I were going to take her to the ER."

"Would you like me to meet you over there?"

"I don't know. I was hoping that you could come over here and see if you had any ideas before we took her to the ER."

"How about you just tell me the symptoms and I tell you if she needs the ER?"

"That would be a better idea. That way you don't have to make two trips."

"So what is going on?"

"She has been listless and tired for a while and then last night she started running a fever."

"Oh dear has she had any unusual bruising or bleeding?"

"She is pretty fair skinned."

"It is probably just anemia but you still need to take her to the ER right away. I will meet you guys there."

* * *

"JIMMY!" Breena cried running down the stairs carrying Lizzie in her arms.

"What's wrong?" Jimmy asked slipping his phone back into his jeans pocket.

"Her...her fever it just spiked! It is one hundred and three! I can't get her to wake-up!" Breena cried.

"OK um Dr. Mallard is going to meet us at the hospital. I told him, her symptoms and he said that we needed to take her right away." Jimmy explained.

"OK I am going to call my dad and see if he can baby-sit Justin tonight." Breena replied. Justin was the nine year old son of Breena's older sister. The Palmer's watched him on the weeknights nights while his mom went to nursing school.

"You should probably call Cecilia too." Jimmy replied.

"I'll get my dad to call her." Breena replied.

* * *

The only thing Jimmy really hated about being a father was that, that meant being the strong one one in the relationship. He knew that his girls needed him to be strong but he was scared to death too. Of course Lizzie was a baby and Breena had her own problems. She had lost her younger sister to a mysterious illness when she wasn't much older than Lizzie. During the drive to the ER Jimmy gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. While Breena rode in the backseat with Lizzie. Upon arrival Jimmy checked in with the receptionist and then went outside and called Ducky back. After fifteen minutes of waiting a nurse came and took Lizzie back. Only one parent could go back with her. So Breena went while Jimmy waited outside with Ducky.

"What is taking so long?!" Jimmy cried after an hour of waiting.

"Getting tests take time." Ducky reminded.

"I know. God I hated when I had to work in the hospital in medical school. The ER was usually OK and I only had one scare in obstetrics but I hated seeing people that were really sick especially children. I watched like seven kids die when I did my pediatrics rotation." Jimmy rambled.

"Victoria is not going to die, Mr. Palmer. Like I said she is probably just anemic." Ducky assured.

"I know but I am just so scared." Jimmy admitted.

"Any father would be." Ducky assured.

* * *

The door separating the waiting room from the rest of the hospital slung open and Breena walked through. Once she was in the ER she rushed over to where Ducky and Jimmy were waiting.

"Jimmy" Breena sniffed.

"What going on? Where's Lizzie?" Jimmy asked.

"They are putting her in a room." Breena replied.

"What's wrong?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know they won't tell me anything. They just said that I needed to get you." Breena explained.

"Should I come back with you guys?" Ducky asked.

"I think we need you." Breena replied.

"Yeah this sounds bad." Jimmy added.

"OK" Ducky replied.

* * *

Jimmy and Ducky followed Breena back to a small office at the end of the ER hallway. Jimmy and Breena took the two seats directly across from the doctors desk and Ducky took the small folding chair in the back of the room. A few minutes later a tall, average build, balding man with brown hair and wire frame glasses entered and sat down across from the Palmer's/

"Jimmy, Ducky this is Dr. Brown, Dr. Brown this is my husband Jimmy and our friend Dr. Donald Mallard." Breena introduced.

"Very well" Dr. Brown replied.

"It is good to meet you doctor." Jimmy replied.

"What is going on with our baby girl?" Breena asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Palmer I am sorry but your daughter has leukemia." Dr. Brown replied.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Jimmy and Breena. How will the team take the news? Should I continue? If I do this will take the place of "Changing Life" which I will be finishing in the next few days.**


	2. Shock

Jimmy could not believe what he had just heard. He could not believe that his little girl had cancer. He knew it happened all the time but it wasn't supposed to happen to his little girl. Breena was sobbing heavily beside him. Ducky had gotten out of his seat, walked over to them and had placed his hands on Jimmy and Breena's shoulders. Jimmy was beyond relieved that he had asked his boss to meet them at the hospital. It was nice to have somebody who would be able to make sense of what the doctors were saying. Jimmy had, had an oncology course and rotation in Med School but this was real and it was his little girl. Not some picture in a text book or a random stranger he would likely never see again once the six week rotation was over.

"O...OK" Jimmy finally replied, Breena was still to hysterical to speak.

"I know this is a hard thing to hear but the good news is that we caught it early. It is also ALL which stands for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. It is the most common childhood cancer but it is also extremely treatable." Dr. Brown replied.

"What do we do next?" Jimmy asked.

"We will start her on chemo as soon asher fever breaks. We have admitted her so we can attempt to lower the fever and so she will be settled in when we can start chemo. The good news is that we will be able to give her outpatient chemo therapy so she will be able to be home with you, when she isn't receiving treatment. As long as everything goes well. She will have chemo three days a week for six weeks then a two week break and then another six week cycle. After that we will test her again and ideally she will be cleared of the disease." Dr. Brown explained.

"What about a bone marrow transplant?" Jimmy asked.

"That will most likely be part of the course of treatment but it will have to wait until she has reached remission." Dr. Brown explained.

"Can my wife and I be tested? I know that it is best to get a relative as a donor." Jimmy asked.

"Of course you can be tested it is a very simple procedure to be tested. Do you have any other relatives who can be tested to be donors?" Dr. Brown asked.

"My mom and sister died when I was young and my dad had thyroid cancer last year so he can't donate anything." Breena explained.

"What about you Mr. Palmer?" Dr. Brown asked.

"Lizzie is the only blood relative I have but I have a lot of friends who I can probably convince to get tested." Jimmy replied.

"OK well I have referred your case to a pediatric oncologist, Dr. McGuire. I am an oncologist but I only treat adults and children with adult cancers. So I am very glad that I will not be seeing Lizzie anymore after today." Dr. Brown explained.

"Where is Dr. McGuire?" Jimmy asked.

"He is with another patient but he will be here shortly." Dr. Brown replied.

"And he knows the course of action?" Jimmy asked.

"He actually told me what to say. I very rarely deal with children and when I do it is usually teenagers right on the edge of adulthood." Dr, Brown explained.

"OK" Jimmy replied.

"Anymore questions?" Dr. Brown asked.

"No" Jimmy replied.

"What about you Mrs. Palmer?" Dr. Brown asked.

"No...No" Breena replied voice cracking.

* * *

Jimmy sat by his daughter's bedside. Ducky was outside trying to get Breena calmed down enough to where she could come in with him. She had been absolutely hysterical ever since they had left Dr. Brown's office. Jimmy was terrified too but somehow just knowing what was going on had made him relax a little. Before they had the answer of leukemia. He was sure that his daughter had some horrible disease with no cure. Leukemia was horrible and terrifying but it was treatable and he knew what it was. There were many kinds but the type that Lizzie had was common and treatable. Of course he knew there was a chance that he could lose his little girl but he didn't choose to think like that. He couldn't it would be fair to Lizzie or Breena if he did. So he chose to go the positive route. Lizzie would get fourteen weeks of chemo and then she would get a bone-marrow transplant. Breena and him would both get tested and he would ask his NCIS family. Breena had a few cousins that she could probably ask and if push came to shove there was always the national registry.

"Daddy?" Lizzie asked weakly.

"What is it, Lizzie?" Jimmy replied.

"Is it true that I have cancer?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes it is but don't worry the doctors are going to help you get better." Jimmy assured.

"Is OK to be scared?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes it is." Jimmy assured.

"Are you scared?" Lizzie asked.

"No" Jimmy lied.

"Where's mommy?" Lizzie asked.

"She is talking to grandpa Ducky." Jimmy explained.

"Is she scared?" Lizzie asked.

"A little but she will be OK." Jimmy assured.

* * *

Breena sobbed into Ducky's chest. This couldn't be happening. Her little girl couldn't have leukemia. Not the same disease that had killed her mother when she was ten. She didn't know how Jimmy could be so strong. Maybe because he had gone to Medical School and surprisingly he had always been the strong one in the relationship.

"It is going to be OK, Breena." Ducky assured.

"Wh...What if it isn't?" Breena asked.

"Please try not to think that way. Trust me when I tell you it won't do you any favors." Ducky replied.

"You don't understand my mom died from leukemia." Breena explained.

"She died when you were ten didn't she?" Ducky asked.

"Yes" Breena replied.

"Well that was nearly twenty years ago and trust me when I say that Medical Science has made great improvements since then." Ducky assured.

"I know but some people still don't survive." Breena argued.

"Of course that is true but Breena you have to stay positive. It is OK to be scared but remember that positive vibes will make positive things happen." Ducky explained.

* * *

**A/N: How will the team take the news? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	3. Breaking The News

Neither Jimmy nor Breena got any sleep that night. The hospital would only let one parent stay overnight and Jimmy ended up being the one to stay. Breena was still hysterical when visiting hours ended but Ed took her to his house so she wouldn't be alone. He was going to take her back home but Ducky thought a change of scenery might be nice and it would be easier on her to wake up without Jimmy beside her and Lizzie across the hall if she were sleeping in a different bed. Ducky managed to charm the nurses into allowing him to stay a few hours past visiting hours.

"How are you holding up Mr. Palmer?" Ducky asked.

"Not great" Jimmy admitted.

"I am sorry that you guys have to go through this." Ducky replied.

"I am almost more worried about Breena than I am about Lizzie." Jimmy commented.

"How so?" Ducky asked.

"Well I mean Lizzie has excellent chances of recovery but Breena is so hysterical and so much could go wrong with her." Jimmy explained.

"Breena is taking the news extremely hard but rest assured that in time the news will become a softer blow in time." Ducky assured.

"Yeah I hope so." Jimmy replied.

"Do you want me to tell the others?" Ducky asked.

"Others?" Jimmy questioned.

"You know everybody at NCIS or would you prefer to do it yourself?" Ducky asked.

"I am going to tell them tomorrow. I want them to know why I am not going to be around all the time for a while and see if they are willing to get tested to donate bone marrow." Jimmy explained.

"Very well" Ducky replied.

"You can go home now, Duck. I am as OK as I am going to be." Jimmy replied.

"Are you sure?" Ducky asked.

"Yeah" Jimmy replied.

* * *

After being unable to sleep all night Breena finally called her family at seven the next morning. She had planned on calling the night before but by the time she was calmed down enough to talk it was too late to call. She was dialing her older brother's number when her dad came into the kitchen and sat down beside her.

"Morning baby girl" Ed greeted.

"Morning" Breena replied.

"What are you doing?" Ed asked.

"Calling EJ." Breena replied.

"Shouldn't you call Cecelia first?" Ed asked.

"Does it matter?" Breena asked.

"Well CeCe does live here with us and she probably wouldn't like to get the news from anybody else besides EJ is probably getting the kids up." Ed explained.

"OK" Breena replied.

* * *

"Hello?"

"CeCe it's me Breena."

"Breena what's going on?"

"Do you remember how we couldn't baby-sit Justin because Lizzie was sick?"

"Yeah how is she?"

"Not good, she's uh she's in the hospital."

"Oh no what's wrong?"

"She has cancer, CeCe."

"No! Breena I am so sorry!"

"Yeah thanks. I uh I need to call EJ in the others."

"Hold on Breena. What kind of cancer is it?"

"Leukemia"

"Like mom?"

"Yeah, I mean it's ALL mom had a different more serious type and it wasn't diagnosed until it was almost too late."

"What are her chances?"

"They say pretty good and she will be able to get a bone marrow transplant when she hits remission. Jimmy and I are going to get tested."

"I am going to get tested and I am sure that EJ and the cousins will too."

"Yeah thanks"

* * *

Jimmy was faced with the dreaded task of telling his NCIS family. Ed had come to the hospital with Breena as soon as visiting hours had started. So he was able to take a break from the hospital and go into work. As he pulled into the parking lot he suddenly wished that he had taken Ducky up on his offer to tell the others for him. Still he knew that he was Lizzie's father and he was going to have to get used to telling people about her diagnosis. He had called Ducky before going into work and asked him to bring Abby up to the bullpen. So he could break the news in one blow rather than having to go around to different parts of the office and tell everybody separately. When he arrived in the bullpen Gibbs, Tony, McGee, and Bishop were all sitting at their desks. Ducky was sitting at the little side desk and Abby was leaning against Gibbs's desk.

"Good morning everybody." Jimmy greeted.

"Good morning Jimmy!" Abby cried.

"Morning kid" Gibbs greeted.

"Morning Jimmy" McGee replied.

"Morning Jimmy how are you?" Bishop asked.

"Morning Autopsy Gremlin." Tony greeted.

"Good morning Mr. Palmer I believe you had news for us." Ducky replied.

"You have news! Is the new Palmer baby here?!" Abby cried.

"No not for another couple months." Jimmy replied.

"So what's going on?" Gibbs asked.

"Lizzie has been sick for the past few days. Finally Breena and I took her to the doctor last night and she uh she has leukemia." Jimmy explained.

"Oh no!" Abby cried.

"I am so sorry kid." Gibbs replied.

"That's terrible" Bishop added.

"I am sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do?" McGee asked.

"Tough break, Autopsy Gremlin. I uh I have to go." Tony replied.

"I was with Jimmy and Breena last night when they got the news and the good news is that young Victoria has excellent chances." Ducky explained.

"Uh I am going to be taking the days Lizzie has chemo off and Breena will be with her the rest of the time. To answer your question McGee. I would like all of you to be tested to be bone marrow donors for Lizzie. There is no rush because she cannot get a transplant until she hits remission." Jimmy explained.

"I am already in the registry." Abby reminded.

"I am too old to be eligible." Ducky sighed.

"I can get tested for sure, kid." Gibbs replied.

"I can get tested. Jake and I have our physicals next week anyway." Bishop replied.

"Of course I will get tested." McGee replied.

"Thanks everybody" Jimmy replied eyeing Tony.

"What about you, Tony?" McGee asked.

"I uh I can't. I have to go." Tony replied.

"Why not?" McGee asked.

"Can't you at least try? I know you are not fond of needles but it is not too bad." Ducky asked.

"Come on DiNozzo" Gibbs ordered.

"Please Tony" Jimmy begged.

"Yeah Tony all of us are stepping up." Bishop replied.

"How you be so cold and selfish?! This is Jimmy's child! She has cancer Tony! What if she dies because you are too selfish to get a swab! That's all it is a swab you jerk!" Abby cried.

"I just can't OK! Get off my back! Now if you'll excuse me! I said that I have to go!" Tony snapped jumping up and running from the bullpen.

* * *

**A/N: Is Tony really being a jerk or is he hiding a secret of his own? New chapter will be up soon please review and thanks for reading.**


	4. Tony's Horrible Secret

**A/N: Two things before we get started. One this is going to be a Tiva fic. I know I will lose readers but it's what I want and this is MY fic. So I am not going to apologize.**

**Two for those who stuck around I am sorry if I get any medical facts wrong.**

* * *

Tony wished that he was just running from his teammates criticism. He wished that he was just being a jerk. He wanted to help Lizzie more than anything. He loved that little girl and Jimmy was his best friend but things weren't so simple for him right now. He looked at his watch. He was early but not too early. He got in his car and drove away from NCIS. He wondered if he would ever come back there and if he did if he would be welcome. He arrived at his destination wishing that he could turn around and go to the warmth of Gibbs's basement. He wanted a safe place, not here. Taking one last deep breath he got out of his car, and walked inside, he walked inside and checked in with the receptionist who offered him a sympathetic look. A shudder went down his spine as he walked over to the waiting area. He hated the by now far too familiar dirty walls. They had been white once a long time ago but now they were a yellowish/gray color. He shifted in his chair. Fluff fell from the chair onto the floor. He wondered if the chair was just old and worn out or if previous occupants had picked at it and torn it out of nervousness and panic.

"Anthony DiNozzo" Dr. Brown called.

* * *

Tony stood and followed Doctor Brown back to his office. This was it. The moment of truth. There was no turning back now. He was about to get the news that could change the rest of his life. The rest of his life. God how long would that be? Would he be just fine and grow old. Would he have time for everything he put off? Getting married, having a family, becoming team lead, writing his memoir, and so much more? Or would he get the news he was dreading and only have a few months. Never getting to do anything he dreamed of for so long? Dr. Brown opened the door to his office and ushered him in, he sat down in the chair across from the doctor.

"Good afternoon, Mr. DiNozzo." Dr. Brown greeted.

"Just give it to me straight doc. I lost enough sleep over this. I have to know." Tony pleaded.

"I am sorry Mr. DiNozzo but your new lab results confirmed our fears. You have leukemia and as we feared it has advanced." Dr. Brown apologized.

"OK... OK what do we do now?" Tony asked taking nervous deep breaths.

"We need to start you on chemo right away. I have called nurses to escort you over to the in patient oncology ward and you will be taken into surgery to have a port placed. Once you are out. We will start you on a chemo drip." Dr. Brown explained.

"Can I pleas just go home real quick?" Tony begged.

"I am sorry Mr. DiNozzo but we have to get you started on chemo right away." Dr. Brown apologized.

"But I don't have anything. I have old milk in my fridge and I need to feed my fish." Tony stammered.

"Is there somebody you can call? Any family?" Dr. Brown asked.

"Not much too my family. There's my dad and step-mom assuming they are still married that is and my step-sister but all that matters to her is her baby. I get they need lots of attention but it would be nice if she cared about me. Even just a little." Tony explained.

I am sorry to hear that but there has to be somebody. One of your friends from work, perhaps?" Dr. Brown asked.

"No I kind of pissed off my co-workers today. I didn't mean too. It just sort of happened. I was so freaked by all of this. I wasn't thinking." Tony explained.

"Do you have any friends outside of work or neighbors?" Dr. Brown asked.

"No close friends and the only neighbor I could trust with this information died last month. She was ninety three but it was still hard." Tony explained.

"What about your girlfriend? The one who came with you for your first blood test?" Dr. Brown asked.

"She went back to Israel. Her English was never great and I was able to convince her that you were an eye doctor. She was only in town for a friends wedding and I didn't want to worry her too much and keep her here." Tony explained.

"Look Mr. DiNozzo. I wish that I could let you leave but I can't. Your cancer is aggressive and you need to start chemo right away. Maybe you can try and call your co-workers. They are all adults. I am sure if you explained your situation they would be willing to help you." Dr. Brown explained.

"No they won't." Tony sighed.

"What on Earth could you have done to make your co-workers not care that you have a rare and aggressive form of leukemia?" Dr. Brown asked.

"Seemingly not care that my co-worker's daughter has the same type of cancer." Tony admitted.

"Why didn't you just tell them?" Dr. Brown asked.

"I just can't." Tony sighed.

* * *

After breaking the bad news to his co-worker's Jimmy headed back to Bethesda. One advantage to his job with NCIS was that his daughter had access to the amazing doctors and nurses that Bethesda had to offer. He had done his oncology rotation at Bethesda do to Georgetown's reconstruction process and they were amazing. The best of the best. As he drove to the hospital he thought of his family's reactions to his news but mainly he thought about Tony. He wondered why his friend was so cold and seemingly uncaring about Lizzie's diagnosis. It didn't add up. Tony wasn't exactly a sensitive or super empathetic person but he did care for others. Normally he would at least start planning a charity basketball game but instead he just ran away. That was not Tony at all. He arrived to the hospital and walked inside. As he entered the oncology ward he saw a sight that made his heart drop down to his stomach. He struggled to breathe as he walked towards his daughter's room. Breena was sitting in the chair beside Lizzie's bed.

"Oh good Jimmy you are back. They are starting chemo tomorrow but they are taking her into surgery to insert her port in ten minutes." Breena greeted.

"Yeah sorry. Took a while at NCIS." Jimmy replied.

"How did they take it?" Breena asked.

"Most of them are stepping up to help. Everybody but Tony." Jimmy explained.

"Why isn't Tony helping?" Breena asked.

"I don't know but I am almost positive that he has cancer himself." Jimmy explained.

* * *

**A/N: Well now you know Tony's secret but how will the gang at NCIS take it? New chapter will be up soon please review and thanks for reading.**


	5. The Truth Comes Out

Like any parent good parent Jimmy hated to see his little girl suffering. He hated that what was wrong of her wasn't something that would just go away after a few days or weeks of rest and the proper medications. Instead she had cancer. The dreaded disease that may end up killing her. He kept telling himself that ALL was treatable and they had caught it in time. He just hated the idea of her going through chemo and all the side-effects that went with it. It broke his heart that she would be so sick and uncomfortable and lose her beautiful hair. He wondered if his NCIS family was willing to step up and help her. Now that he was sure that he knew Tony's secret he didn't resent him anymore. Not that he was ever that angry at him.

"Why do you think that Tony has cancer?" Breena asked pulling Jimmy from his thoughts.

"I saw him coming from one of the offices towards the elevator." Jimmy explained.

"Well maybe he was just visiting somebody." Breena suggested.

"He was in a wheel-chair being pushed by nurses." Jimmy explained.

"Oh Jimmy." Breena gasped.

"Yeah two of the most important people in the world to me getting cancer at the same time. It's not right." Jimmy replied.

"Was anybody from NCIS with Tony?" Breena asked.

"No they were all angry with him. He said he didn't want to help Lizzie but he wouldn't say why. Now I know." Jimmy explained.

"Why didn't he just tell them?" Breena asked.

"That's now how Tony is. If he had come down with the plague outside of NCIS it's likely that none of us would have ever known." Jimmy explained.

"Well I hope the team cares when they find out." Breena replied.

"If they find out." Jimmy sighed.

"Should we tell them?" Breena asked.

"No that is Tony's news to share and if he wants to tell he will." Jimmy replied.

"OK it's just I hate to think of Lizzie going through this alone." Breena explained.

"I do too but I can't go behind Tony's back. Speaking of Lizzie when will she start chemo or do you not know yet?" Jimmy asked.

"Tomorrow morning at nine. As long as she responds well we can go home right after." Breena replied.

"So another night here?" Jimmy asked.

"At least" Breena sighed.

"Would you like me to take tonight? So you can go home and get some sleep." Jimmy asked.

"Are you sure? Don't you have to be at work in the morning?" Breena asked.

"It is fine I told Director Vance and Dr. Mallard that I am going to be taking the days Lizzie has chemo off." Jimmy explained.

"Good" Breena replied.

* * *

_Inconclusive _that was the result of Tony's first blood test. This whole ordeal had happened about a week and half ago. It started out as a routine visit to Dr. Pitt. A visit where he was expecting the same results he always got. Sure he had been feeling rundown lately and the cut he got shaving a few days earlier had bled longer than normal and he was getting bruises even from just bumping into his desk or the slightest confrontation with a suspect but he wasn't expecting bad news. He was in his forties now and figured he was just showing his age. Wondering if he would end up beating Gibbs to retirement. Ziva had been in town for her former neighbor's wedding and had come along with him. The plan was for him to have his appointment and then they would go out to lunch. They were at lunch actually when the results of the blood that Brad had taken come in and something wasn't right. His white cell count was low and it was concerning to the doctor. He referred Tony to Dr. Lucas Brown an oncologist. He had lied and told Ziva that he had forgotten about an appointment with the eye doctor and they had gone to see him two days later. When he got the results back that night. After Ziva had already boarded the plane for Israel. He got a call saying that the blood-work was inconclusive. Which could mean two things one it was just a bad test and he either had cancer or some less serious ailment but hopefully the less serious ailment or two he had a super rare form of leukemia. He came back in the next day and had more blood drawn. This time it was sent off to a fancy lab somewhere on the other-side of the country. Just his luck it was option two. The super rare and deadly cancer. He had gotten the call that Dr. Brown could meet with him at ten that morning. He had gotten the news that his results were in less than half an hour before he got the news that Lizzie had cancer. Sweet little Lizzie the child of his best friend. Ironically the one person Tony was planning on telling about his possible diagnosis and asking to come along for moral support. Instead here he was alone. When he had agreed to take chemo and do whatever it took to beat the cancer. It was when he thought it was just the typical leukemia. The same type that Lizzie Palmer had. He had also expected that he would have Jimmy, Gibbs, or somebody to get his things if he was unable. If he was being perfectly honest. He didn't really feel like driving back to his apartment and then having to come back to the hospital. He was dreading going through this alone.

"I hate this!" Tony snapped.

* * *

The Major Case Response Team had no cases that day. Meaning that Gibbs and his team were free to go at five o'clock. As he made his way home Gibbs realized that he had nothing at his house that would make a decent dinner. He turned his car in the direction of his favorite grocery store. To his delight the store had a sale on steaks that week. He grabbed two and tossed them in his cart. Before heading down the spice aisle to get the necessary spices to make it just the way he liked it. He eyed the second steak that was sitting in his cart. Tony absolutely adored his cowboy style steaks. If it weren't for the sheer disappointment he felt towards Tony for not wanting to get tested to donate marrow to Lizzie and the fact that Tony had seemingly disappeared off the face of the Earth after the incident that morning. He was breaking rule three and everything. As he was rounding the corner to head back to the produce section to pick out a couple of potatoes to go with his dinner. His cart crashed to another.

"Oh I am sorry." Gibbs apologized.

"It's alright" The person assured.

"Brad?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh Gibbs" Dr. Pitt replied.

"How are things?" Gibbs asked.

"Pretty good I am engaged." Dr. Pitt replied.

"Oh congratulations!" Gibbs replied.

"Thanks we are getting married in about seven months. Be looking for an invitation." Dr. Pitt replied.

"Oh I will." Gibbs replied.

"Oh how rude of me. How are you holding up?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"Pretty good" Gibbs replied.

"Are you going by to see Tony or have you already been?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"What do you mean?" Gibbs asked.

"He didn't tell you?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"Tell me what?" Gibbs asked.

"Look I am putting my job on the line telling you this but I do not want him to have to go through this alone. So I am going to take that risk." Dr. Pitt explained.

"What the hell is going on?" Gibbs demanded.

"I am sorry Gibbs but Tony has leukemia." Dr. Pitt apologized.

* * *

**A/N: Well now Gibbs knows the truth. How will he take it? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	6. Support

Jimmy was glad that he offered to take the night shift with Lizzie. He knew that Breena would have to deal with their daughter's illness eventually but he wanted to give her a night off before the ordeal really began. Once Lizzie started chemo and was home. They would have to prepare for late night trips to the ER and early morning tests and treatments. Having worked at NCIS for the better part of a decade he was used to being woken up in the middle of the night and getting up sometimes before the sun but Breena didn't have that issue working with her dad.

"You doing OK, Lizzie?" Jimmy asked his daughter.

"Kinda" Lizzie replied.

"Do you need me to get you anything?" Jimmy asked.

"When's dinner?" Lizzie asked.

"Soon" Jimmy replied.

"Good I am starving." Lizzie replied.

"I'm hungry too. Ducky is going to stay with you while I go and get dinner." Jimmy explained.

"OK" Lizzie replied.

* * *

Gibbs could not believe what he had just heard. How could he have missed that his son had cancer? He was normally so in tuned to Tony. He remembered Tony leaving early and acting mysterious lately but he wasn't expecting cancer. Maybe a new girlfriend of seeing Dr. Pitt to get his medicine adjusted or some minor health problem but he wasn't expecting cancer. He had let the others be so cold and hurtful to him. He should have known that Tony's resistance to getting tested to be a bone-marrow donor for Lizzie. Wasn't coldness but a health crisis of his own. Gibbs felt his body shaking and tears had started to fall from his eyes.

"Gibbs? Are you alright, Gibbs?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"Tony can't have cancer. He just can't." Gibbs sniffed.

"I don't want to believe it either but the test came back positive and Tony has already been admitted and started on chemo. Poor guy, it's really bad the type of leukemia he has too." Dr. Pitt explained.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Gibbs questioned.

"I don't know but I can't believe he was able to keep it secret so long. He had the initial test last week and we all know how hard it is too sneak around you." Dr. Pitt explained.

"He's at Bethesda right?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah not sure what room he's in but oncology is the big building in the back." Dr. Pitt explained.

"Yeah I was there when Leon had his cancer test." Gibbs replied nervously, before abandoning his cart in the middle of the store and rushing out to his car. His boy needed him and he was not going to let him be alone anymore.

* * *

After Lizzie had her dinner and Ducky had arrived to stay with her. Jimmy went down the the cafeteria. They weren't serving food anymore but he was able to grab a cup of soup and bag of chips from the vending machine. Four years ago he was sitting in this very cafeteria waiting for Breena to give birth. Now he was sitting there wondering if his daughter would live to see her fifth birthday. What if she was one of the twenty percent that didn't survive? What if this illness took over her whole childhood before finally killing her when she was right on the verge of adulthood? What if she beat the illness time and time again but missed out on playing with her friends, going to a regular school, and doing the things girls should. Spending her childhood in the hospital. Her only fun trip being on behalf a charity? Jimmy wished for the millionth time in twenty-four hours that he was the one with cancer.

"You OK?" An elderly man asked standing over Jimmy.

"Not really" Jimmy admitted.

"What's wrong?" The man asked.

"I just found out my daughter has cancer." Jimmy explained.

"I am sorry to hear that. What kind of cancer is it? If you don't mind me asking." The man asked.

"Leukemia" Jimmy replied.

"Oh I am sorry, I lost my boy to that." The man explained.

"Not what I wanted to hear." Jimmy muttered.

"Well I wouldn't get too upset about that. It was fifty years ago that Teddy got sick and that's what cancer was back then a death-sentence. Now days kids and adults beat cancer everyday. My daughter Christine is a pediatric cancer researcher and has actually helped develop the treatment that they are probably giving your daughter." The man explained.

"They said Lizzie has good chances but there's still that thing in the back of my mind that is trying to convince me that she won't get so lucky." Jimmy explained.

"Well be positive but also cherish every moment." The man replied.

"Thanks uh..." Jimmy replied.

"David" David replied.

"Well thank you David. I am Jimmy by the way." Jimmy replied.

"Good luck, Jimmy and I will pray for your daughter." David replied.

"Thanks again, David and I am sorry about your son." Jimmy replied.

"Not as sorry as I am." David sighed.

* * *

Tony could hear footsteps coming down the hall towards his room. He shuddered expecting it to be another nurse or doctor coming to stick him with more needles. He was about half an hour in his chemo session. He had at least another hour left and he was already hating it. He was sore from the surgery and the chemo was already making him sick. He knew that he wasn't supposed to feel sick until at least later that night maybe even the next day but with his luck he was going to be one of those people that was completely miserable every second of his treatment.

"Tony?" Gibbs called.

"Boss?" Tony asked.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gibbs asked.

"How the hell did you find out?!" Tony demanded.

"Dr. Pitt told me." Gibbs replied.

"He can't tell you that." Tony gasped.

"He risked his job so that you wouldn't have to go through it alone." Gibbs explained.

"Everybody hates me. I was prepared to go it alone." Tony explained.

"I don't hate you. I was disappointed in you but I could never hate you." Gibbs corrected.

"Yeah well you let everybody treat me like shit." Tony spat.

"I am sorry Tony. I know I can never fully apologize for what I did but please at least try to forgive me." Gibbs apologized.

"Just leave me alone. I need some time to think." Tony replied.

"OK but call me if you need anything." Gibbs replied.

"Yeah I will." Tony replied with fake enthusiasm. He figured Gibbs would catch on eventually but he was hoping he would have some time to prepare.

* * *

**A/N: Gibbs cares for Tony and feels bad for his behavior but will Tony accept his boss's apology? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	7. Not Alone

Jimmy felt much better after his talk with David but he still doubted he'd be able to relax. He wondered how Breena was doing at home. He would have to call in check in after visiting hours had ended. Two days ago everything had been perfect. Lizzie was sick and that scared him to death but now everything was flipped upside down. Lizzie had always been a healthy kid. She had the standard colds and flues but until the last bout of flu she had always bounced back pretty quickly. She had some issues at birth but nothing too serious not even bad enough to require her to stay in the NICU. She just needed a little extra monitoring. So Breena and her spent an extra two days in the hospital and then she was just fine and for four year she was never hospitalized again. Until now that is. She had been rushed to the ER in the middle of the night once or twice but they always sent her home within a couple hours. Now all of the sudden she had a life threatening illness and would spend days and weeks maybe even months in the hospital. The doctors had said that as long as she responded well to her chemo. She would be treated with out-patient therapy and be able to leave when she was done. If she had complications or the chemo given to her at first didn't work. She would have to had in patient treatments but it was rare with ALL that was caught early enough. That was strange enough and certainly terrifying enough but things had changed for Breena and him as well. Breena had always been the strong one in the relationship and now she was falling apart and Jimmy had to be strong for her. He had said that to himself a hundred times in the past two days but he still couldn't accept it. He opened the door to Lizzie's room and stepped inside.

"How was your dinner Mr. Palmer?" Ducky asked.

"Good it was good." Jimmy replied.

"Well you certainly seem to be in better spirits than you were when you left." Ducky observed.

"Yeah I met this guy David in the cafeteria and he helped me out." Jimmy replied.

"That is good to hear." Ducky replied.

"He lost his son to cancer years ago back when it was a death sentence. God I am glad that Lizzie didn't get sick back then. Of course she wasn't born yet and neither was I but still I can't imagine what it must have felt like to have no hope." Jimmy explained.

"Well it is good to have somebody who understands what you are going through." Ducky replied.

"Yeah and he said that his daughter went on to become a researcher and developer of chemotherapy treatments for childhood cancers. It's crazy the daughter of a man who I met by chance in the hospital cafeteria. May end up save my daughter's life." Jimmy replied.

"It is always amazing when life works out like that." Ducky replied.

"I wish that Breena could have met him too. She could really use somebody like that." Jimmy replied.

"She will find somebody who will help her the way David helped you." Ducky assured.

"I hope so. I am worried about her." Jimmy replied.

"Did her mother have ALL like Lizzie?" Ducky asked.

"No she had AML Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Which is much worse and she had a few other health issues before the cancer. They say cancers run in families. I am so glad that Lizzie doesn't have AML and that Breena is healthy." Jimmy explained.

"Has Breena ever had cancer? I know Edward had Thyroid cancer and her mother had leukemia and Victoria is currently battling it." Ducky asked.

"No but she is really careful with her health." Jimmy replied.

"You know sometimes it skips a generation." Ducky assured.

"I know but I wish that it had just stopped." Jimmy replied.

"I do too Jimmy. I do too." Ducky replied.

* * *

Breena stayed with her dad while Jimmy stayed with Lizzie at the hospital. She was eternally grateful to her husband for offering to take the night with their daughter. She wanted to be with Lizzie she really did and she understood that her daughter needed her but she couldn't take another night in the hospital. If it wouldn't be completely unfair to Lizzie. She would never go near the hospital when Lizzie was getting her treatment.

"Are you OK?" Ed asked.

"No" Breena admitted.

"Do you want to go back to the hospital. I am sure Jimmy would understand and I could let him stay here again." Ed offered.

"No I can't do that." Breena replied.

"You know you have to face this at some point. Don't you?" Ed asked.

"I stayed with her last night and most of today." Breena reminded.

"I know but you haven't dealt with it." Ed replied.

"I can't even think about losing her." Breena sighed.

"You won't." Ed assured.

"Mom died of leukemia." Breena reminded.

"Your mother had a different type than Lizzie does a more deadly type and she had other severe health problems. Severe asthma and heart problems. I thank God every day that Edward Junior, Cecilia are healthy." Ed explained.

"Savanna wasn't and she was only five months older than Lizzie is when she died." Breena added.

"Sadly Savanna wasn't strong enough to survive but she did not die of cancer. She had a heart problem and unknown blood disorder. Trust me your mother and I had her tested for leukemia. Your mom had just beaten the disease when Savanna got sick. She got sick the first time just after you were born and then again when you were eight." Ed explained.

* * *

That night Tony found himself alone. He hated that he was alone in all of this. He knew that Jimmy and/or Breena were with Lizzie maybe even staying in the room with her but he was all alone. He wished that he hadn't of lied to Ziva in the first place and that he had told somebody about his illness before everything happened. At least Gibbs had come God, why hadn't he been nicer to Gibbs? He was angry but he still wanted Gibbs. Why couldn't he have let his anger go and let Gibbs in? He thought about calling his boss but then thought better of it. Gibbs had probably given up on him and was down in his basement building something for Lizzie and drinking bourbon.

"Why the hell would you think that I left you?" Gibbs asked walking into Tony's room.

* * *

**A/N: Of course Gibbs would just hangout at the hospital and then sneak in Tony's room past visiting hours just to check on his son. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	8. Supporting Tony

Tony watched in awe as Gibbs walked into his room and sat down beside his bed. What the hell was his boss doing here? It was hours after visiting hours had ended and Gibbs had left around dinner time. No way he had just hung out in the hospital all night waiting for him to need him. More specifically how on Earth did Gibbs know exactly when Tony needed him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tony demanded.

"Oh do you want me to go?" Gibbs asked.

"Just tell me why the hell you are here after midnight?!" Tony barked.

"You really thought I would leave you?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know! I mean I didn't want to help Palmer's daughter and then I just ran away! Why the hell would you stand by me?!" Tony demanded.

"Tony please I know I made a mistake. I shouldn't have let the others attack you like that. I should have pulled you into the elevator and asked what was up. I am sorry." Gibbs apologized.

"I'm not mad at you. You and Ducky didn't say anything bad. You just told me to man up and try. You didn't know. Even Jimmy wasn't too hard on me. I'm not even that mad at McGee, Bishop, and Abby. I am just scared." Tony admitted.

"What are you scared of?" Gibbs asked.

"I have cancer, Boss! I am probably going to die! That's what I am scared of!" Tony snapped.

"You are not going to die." Gibbs assured.

"What I have is rare and has killed stronger than me. That plague took a lot out of my body and caner isn't exactly friendly to people my age." Tony explained.

"I know this is scary but you are the toughest person I know. If anybody can beat the odds it's you and I am not just saying that as an order. I am saying it because I know you." Gibbs explained.

"I bet Lizzie isn't this scared. She's not a coward." Tony sighed.

"Lizzie is four years old. She probably doesn't fully understand what is wrong with her and besides they treat kid cancer different. Kids have doctors and nurses even famous people telling them that they are strong and not to be afraid but it's OK if they are. Adults I mean when Mike was sick it was so straight forward." Gibbs explained.

"So they told Mike he was going to die and then he did." Tony sighed.

"Mike knew he was going to die. By the time he finally got to the doctor the cancer was in both lungs and had spread to his heart and other places. Doesn't help he still smoked like a chimney and refused to have any treatment." Gibbs explained.

"At least Mike still went out in a blaze of glory." Tony sighed.

"You could still go out in a blaze of glory." Gibbs reminded.

"Yeah right" Tony scoffed.

* * *

Gibbs was shaken by his talk with Tony. For about an hour Tony sat up in bed and yelled about how he was going to die and he would never be as strong as Mike or Jenny. Until he finally fell into a fitful sleep and a nurse came in and kicked Gibbs out. Now he was sitting in a mostly empty waiting room trying to process what Tony had told him. What the hell was he supposed to say? He didn't want Tony to die but he knew that was a possibility. His mind shifted to the others. How would he tell the other members of his team? Did he even really have the right to? It was Tony's illness and his news to share after all.

"Gibbs?" Jimmy asked.

"Oh hi Jimmy" Gibbs greeted.

"What are you doing here?" Jimmy asked.

"Tony" Gibbs muttered.

"Tony has cancer doesn't he? That's why he won't donate to Lizzie?" Jimmy asked.

"Leukemia a rare and deadly type." Gibbs explained.

"Oh Tony" Jimmy whispered.

"He is so upset and afraid. We were so cruel to him." Gibbs said.

"I should have known he wasn't just being a jerk." Jimmy replied.

"We all should have." Gibbs replied.

"I almost wish he was just being an ass though." Jimmy admitted.

"Me too kid" Gibbs replied.

"My daughter and my best friend." Jimmy commented.

"Lizzie how is she?" Gibbs asked.

"So far so good. Her fever broke and she is starting chemo in the morning." Jimmy explained.

"How is she taking it?" Gibbs asked.

"She is a little scare but she is handling it better than Breena and I. Especially Breena but she lost her mom to the disease when she was a kid." Jimmy explained.

"I get that." Gibbs replied. His mom had died of breast-cancer and that was scaring the hell out of him with Tony's illness. Even if it was a different type of cancer and when his mom was sick it was a death-sentence.

"Me too" Jimmy replied.

"I know you've heard it a lot but Lizzie has a treatable form of cancer and she is in great hands. When Leon had his scare this fall. I met with some of the oncologists and they are the best of the best. Just try to stay positive." Gibbs explained.

"They are amazing but you do have that fear and then I'm like. What would I do if I lost her? She is my world." Jimmy explained.

"If it ends that way just know that I am there for you whenever." Gibbs replied.

"I know" Jimmy replied.

"Tell Breena the same thing." Gibbs replied.

"I will" Jimmy promised standing to leave.

"Oh Jimmy one more thing." Gibbs said.

"What's that?" Jimmy asked.

"Don't tell anybody that Tony is sick. I want him to be the one to break the news." Gibbs replied.

"I won't" Jimmy promised.

* * *

**A/N: At least Tony has Gibbs and Jimmy on his side now. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading. **


	9. Odds

Jimmy woke up in the morning knowing what the day would bring. His little girl would be starting chemo in a couple of hours. Breena had texted him and said that she was on her way and that Ducky was bringing breakfast for them. Truth is he didn't feel like he would be able to keep anything down and he strongly suspected that Breena was feeling the same way but he still appreciated the gesture. He was extremely grateful for any support he could get during this time. He just hoped that Gibbs and Tony would be given the same respect and support when news of Tony's illness became public. With any luck everybody who got tested to give Lizzie bone-marrow would volunteer to get checked to be donors for Tony too. As painful as this was for Jimmy and as badly as he wanted to run away from it all and come back when it was over. He would never leave his little girl in her time of need. Somehow he doubted that DiNozzo Senior would be around for his son. Jimmy may not be father of the year but he was certainly a far better father than Senior. He loved his little girl and only wanted the best for her even if it killed him. If he was found to be a positive match for Lizzie and the next day news broke that a news there was a new and experimental form of bone marrow transplant that promised to be one hundred percent effective but it meant that the donor had to die. He would do it an a heart-beat if it meant that his baby would never get sick again and he knew that Breena felt the same way. Another thing he should be grateful for. He seriously doubted Senior or anyone except for Gibbs would have the same thoughts for Tony. He quickly shook the negative thoughts. He was just replacing the negative feelings and fear he was experiencing regarding Lizzie's illness. For dark and negative thoughts about Tony. It wasn't healthy for him and it wasn't fair to Tony or Lizzie. He had to be strong and brave. He had to be more like Tony and Lizzie and less like himself. Breena arrived to the hospital and they sat with Lizzie until it was time for her chemo session. Doctor McGuire came and talked to them before taking Lizzie down to her first chemo session. Breena stood in the back corner with a few other parents and Jimmy held his daughter on his lap.

"Why are we here?" Lizzie asked.

"We are giving you special medicine to make your cancer go away. We will have to come back here three times a week for a few weeks." Jimmy explained.

"Will I be able to see my toys?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes as long as you don't feel too yucky after you get your medicine you will be able to stay at home with us except for when you are getting your medicine." Jimmy explained.

"What about pre-school?" Lizzie asked.

"I am afraid you will have to take time off of pre-school." Jimmy explained.

"How long?" Lizzie asked.

"The rest of the year I'm afraid." Jimmy sighed.

"Why?" Lizzie asked.

"The medicine they are giving you is going to make you feel a little sick and make getting other sicknesses really easy. Until you are better you will have to miss school." Jimmy explained.

"Medicine is supposed to make you better." Lizzie argued.

"It will it's just going to take time and it has side-effects." Jimmy sighed.

* * *

Tony curled up on his bed. He felt like he was going to die. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. Gibbs was gone. He had to go to work and that left him all alone. He hated himself but he was jealous of Lizzie Palmer. She had two parents who loved her and were looking out for her. Meanwhile he only had his boss and while he cared. He had to balance running the Major Case Response Team with being there for him. He ran his hand through his hair and then pulled it back quickly and shakily. He knew that your hair didn't fall out right away but it was still going to fall out. Gibbs would think he was so pathetic for being upset about losing his hair. He had to be strong. He just had to.

"Man up DiNozzo." Tony told himself.

* * *

Gibbs wished that he had just stayed at the hospital with Tony. When he arrived at the office that morning he was greeted by McGee and Bishop judging and bad mouthing Tony. He started to tell them about Tony's illness but then stopped himself. He had told Tony that he would leave it up to him to tell his teammates and only break the news if Tony decided that he simply could not do it. When it was finally time to break for lunch he went out to his car and called the only person Tony would forgive him for telling. Besides Jimmy that is.

"Hello?"

"Ziver it's me Gibbs."

"Gibbs? What's going on? You haven't called since the one year anniversary of my dad's death."

"Sorry I missed this year but stuff was happening."

"Yes Jimmy told me about Diane. I am sorry."

"Thanks but that's not what I was calling about."

"Breena had a Facebook post about Lizzie last night. I cannot imagine how they must be feeling."

"That is tragic but that's not what I am calling about either."

"Gibbs you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"It's about Tony."

"Tony? What has happened now? He was supposed to call me last night but he never did. Did I do something to upset him?"

"No Ziver you didn't do anything wrong. Tony... he's uh in the hospital."

"The hospital? Is he injured? How bad is it?"

"He is not injured."

"Then what is wrong?! You never beat around the tree!"

"He has cancer Ziver. He has cancer and I think he's going to die."

* * *

**A/N: How will Ziva take the news? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	10. Think Of Why

Jimmy let the door to his daughter's room close behind him. So far Lizzie was responding well to the chemo and had been sent home. She would have her next chemo session on Friday and they would be Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's after that. As to be expected she was sick and weak but thankfully she had not spiked a fever or suffered seizures.

"How is she?" Breena asked coming up the stairs.

"She's thrown-up a couple times and is pretty listless but she's OK." Jimmy explained.

"Think she will feel up to dinner?" Breena asked.

"Dr. McGuire told us just to give her soup for now. If she wants something else she can ask but we don't want to make her nausea any worse." Jimmy explained.

"We only have french onion and tomato soups. I don't think either would be good for her. Do you want to run to the store or should I?" Breena asked.

"I'll go." Jimmy replied.

* * *

During her lunch break Abby rode the elevator up to the bullpen. McGee was sitting at his desk eating a tuna sandwich and Bishop was leaning against his desk finishing off a slice of pizza. Whens she finished the piece she reached down and picked up another one.

"Hey guys" Abby greeted.

"Oh hi Abby." McGee replied

"How's it going Abby?" Bishop asked.

"I'm OK" Abby replied.

"That's good" McGee replied.

"So what's going on?" Abby asked.

"Gibbs has been riding are asses all day." McGee grunted.

"Why?" Abby asked.

"Because apparently we hurt his precious Tony's feelings yesterday by not approving of him not wanting to help Lizzie yesterday." McGee explained.

"You know if McGee or I had refused to get tested to marrow donors he would have ripped us several new ones by now." Bishop replied.

"I can't believe he can show favoritism like that. Our relationship is one thing because he is not my boss but he is Tony's and that is just semiprofessional." Abby explained.

"Really I mean Gibbs has buried a child and then Tony just goes and refused to help somebody else's and he is still the golden child. It's not fair!" McGee snapped.

"It is completely unfair that Lizzie is sick! She is just a child! It should be Tony!" Bishop snapped.

"Normally I am against wishing cancer on people but Tony does deserve it." McGee replied.

"I'm with you Timmy." Abby replied.

"Hey lets make a pact if Tony ever has a child and he or she gets cancer we won't offer to be marrow donors or do any fund-raising work. We will just let them suffer." McGee suggested.

"Agreed" Bishop replied.

"That would be fair but we shouldn't be taking it out on Tony's child. He or she wouldn't be able to help who their father is. We should take it out on Tony." Abby added.

"True" Bishop agreed.

"That is right." McGee added.

"Good" Abby replied.

"Well hopefully Tony will get cancer one day and if there is any justice in the world at all. He will die alone and with no help." McGee spat.

"THAT IS IT! ALL THREE OF YOU MY OFFICE NOW!" Vance barked from the catwalk over the bullpen.

* * *

McGee, Bishop, and Abby nervously climbed into the elevator. They could not believe that Vance had just snapped at them like that. McGee could not recall any of the directors he had worked under yelling at him like that. Even Jenny was softer on him when he was accused of murder, Bishop had always been a goody two-shoes and never got in trouble, and Abby was well Abby. Everybody loved her and defended her. Now all of the sudden Vance was calling them up to their office and was furious with them. They stepped out of the elevator and stumbled into the director's office.

"Sit down!" Vance ordered.

"What's this about director?" McGee asked.

"I cannot believe what I heard you three were saying about your co-worker Anthony DiNozzo it is absolutely disgusting. Wishing cancer on somebody?! That is absolutely despicable and to wish it on a child. Even if that child is not yet conceived is probably the worst thing I have ever heard in my life. All agent DiNozzo said was that he could not donate bone-marrow." Vance explained.

"Maybe we did go too far but Tony was being a jerk." Abby commented.

"All he did was say that he couldn't donate bone-marrow. It's not like he said that it would be funny if Lizzie died." Vance replied.

"So now you favor Tony too?" McGee asked standing and leaning across the director's desk.

"Sit down agent McGee and if you so much as twitch and accidentally strike me. I will see to it that you can't even get a job as a security guard at a truck stop." Vance warned.

"Wasn't going to hit you." McGee scoffed as he fell back into his chair.

"All McGee did was ask if you favored Tony. He was not going to strike you. You had no right to treat him that way." Bishop remarked.

"Really, how can you be taking Tony's side. I mean yeah Gibbs and him are friends but you don't even like him that much." Abby questioned.

"My opinions of my agents are in no way your business Miss. Scuito and Agent Bishop when somebody leans over a table at me. I am well within my right to assume that they are going to strike me. Now maybe you would like to know why Gibbs and I are being so defensive of Tony and why he isn't here today." Vance replied.

"Because he is a coward?" Abby asked.

"I agree with Abby but give us your two cents." Bishop replied.

"Go ahead try." McGee dared.

"Tony is not here today and will not be back for a long time. If he ever can come back that is. Not because he is a coward but because he does have cancer. He has leukemia too but unlike Lizzie Palmer his cancer is advanced as well as rare and deadly." Vance explained.

"Yeah right!" Abby snapped.

"Convenient he gets cancer the day after refusing to help Lizzie." Bishop remarked.

"No guys he was sick. That's why he couldn't help Lizzie." McGee replied his face had drained of all color and he was shaking.

"If Tony really has cancer than why didn't Gibbs tell us?" Abby asked.

"Yeah all he did was ride our asses all day and treat us like crap." Bishop added.

"Maybe because instead of letting Tony explain himself we attacked him and vilified him and then wished cancer on him." McGee replied cupping his hand over his mouth. He was going to be sick.

* * *

Ziva felt tears falling from her eyes. They would land on her phone and splash up on to her shirt. Gibbs's words were bouncing around in her head. She had a bruise on her arm from pinching herself to try and awaken from what she prayed was a nightmare. Tony couldn't have cancer. She had just seen him a couple of weeks ago and he was fine. He had aged a bit from last time she had seen him and he had tired easier too but she was sure that was just his job wearing on him or maybe a bad cold but not cancer. She remembered sitting with him at Dr. Pitt's and then when he saw the optometrist. No it wasn't an optometrist. He was an oncologist a cancer doctor. There were no posters of eyes or tacky over-sized glasses. There were just poster of bald people in scarves and advertisements for charities and support-lines. How could she have been so stupid? She should have never gone back to Israel. She should have stayed with him and held his hand through this whole ordeal. How long had he been sick? How bad off was he? Gibbs had said that he suspected that Tony was going to die. He couldn't die but if Gibbs was suspecting that he was sick enough to die. He probably would. She had to get back to him. She had to be there for him. She was in love with him and leaving was the stupidest decision she had ever made. Now he was lying in a hospital bed fighting an illness that could kill him and she needed to be there. She had to help him fight so that they could get married and have a family one day. She stood up and began tossing her things into her suitcases. She tossed her phone and phone charger in her purse, made sure she had enough money on her credit-card for an international flight and walked out the door. Texting her friend Esther to come and clear out her fridge and informing her landlord that she was moving out indefinitely. Before hoping into her car and speeding to the air-port.

"Hang on Tony I am coming!" Ziva cried as she jumped out of the car.

* * *

**A/N: At least McGee believes that Tony is sick and is sorry for his behavior. What will it take to bring Bishop and Abby around? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	11. Negative

Jimmy was alone in the living room. Lizzie had been in bed since she got home and Breena had gone to bed right after dinner. Claiming that she wasn't feeling well. Jimmy's heart had sped up when his wife made that statement. He knew that she was probably just tired or coming down with something but in his mind she had cancer too. If his daughter, wife, and best-friend all ended up sick at the same time. He would not be able to deal. He knew that he needed somebody to talk to. He didn't have David's number and besides it would be far too late to call him anyway. Ducky was probably asleep and Gibbs had probably had a couple of glasses of bourbon and would be useless to talk to. He thought about waking Lizzie but she needed her rest and besides. He couldn't unload his fears on his four year old daughter. Maybe Breena was feeling better and cold talk but probably not. She looked pretty bad when she went to bed. He wondered if Tony was awake. He couldn't exactly unload on Tony but it would feel good to have somebody to talk to. He decided to take the chance and picked up his phone and dialed Tony's number. He had turned his cellphone off when he was admitted to Bethesda but he had given the number to Jimmy and Gibbs. They were the only ones who knew and cared that he was hospitalized after all.

"Hello?"

"Hello Tony, I didn't wake you did I?"

"Nah I can't sleep. Feel too crappy."

"Treatments are rough for you huh?"

"They've been hell."

"You got a session tomorrow?"

"Yeah"

"Want me to come sit with you?"

"No Gibbs is coming to sit with me."

"Oh well if he can't come. Just call me."

"Nah if your gonna miss work. You should be with Lizzie and Breena."

"Well I am coming by after work."

"If you insist."

"Tony I care I really do. I am not just pretending."

"Should be worrying about your family, Autopsy Gremlin. How is Lizzie doing by the way?"

"She is doing OK. She is pretty sick tonight but she ate some soup and kept some of it down and she is asking for water. That is all we can asked.

"Thts gdd"

"Are you alright, Tony?"

"ZZZZZZ"

* * *

Tony ended up falling asleep in the middle of his conversation with Jimmy. If his friend didn't think that he was a total dickhead already he certainly did now. He had fallen asleep when Jimmy was trying to talk to him about Lizzie. He had talked poor Jimmy's ear off about himself but when he tried to talk about his daughter. He had fallen asleep. It's not like he was tired or anything. He had been too wired and upset to sleep before. Jimmy probably thought that he was only asking about Lizzie to lull himself to sleep.

The door opened and Tony could not believe what he was seeing or more specifically who. He had not seen or spoken to Ziva since she left after Lana's wedding. He had been meaning to call her but he kept forgetting or being too distracted by his illness. He had wished that he had told her the truth in the first place and that she had stayed and taken care of him and now here she was but why would see be here? She had said countless times that she would never come back to the US full time and that she only came back for Lana's wedding because she had been invited three years ago. Why would she be back now? Unless he really was dying?

"Ziva?" Tony asked.

"I am here Tony." Ziva replied.

"Guess I must be dying then." Tony commented.

"Tony, you are not dying. I just didn't want you to fight this alone." Ziva argued.

"Yeah Gibbs and Jimmy say the same thing." Tony sighed.

"Well good you need support." Ziva agreed.

"Well I assume Jimmy still cares. I fell asleep last night when he was talking to me about Lizzie. Woke up just before you came in." Tony explained.

"I am sure that Jimmy understands that you are weak and tire easily besides I am sure it was late when he called." Ziva assured.

"Stop just stop. They are starting my chemo sessions soon." Tony interrupted.

"Oh well I am going to grab something to eat and then I would be more than happy to sit with you during it." Ziva offered.

"I don't want you to see me during or after, I am gross." Tony argued.

"Tony you are sick." Ziva reminded.

"Sick and dying don't waste your time." Tony replied.

"Tony please I am not wasting my time with you. I love you." Ziva explained.

"Only cause I am dying." Tony argued.

* * *

Ziva was devastated by what Tony had told her. She had come back because Gibbs had told her that Tony was sick and that he may not make it but she was not here because he was dying. She was home because he needed her and she had realized hopefully not to late that she needed him. She had loved him for years and she really should have told him sooner. After the disaster at the hospital. She made her way to Gibbs's house. She knocked on the door. Feeling that she did not deserve to be part of the open door policy anymore. She had abandoned the team over a year ago. She was no longer family.

"Hello... Ziver? You know that you could have just come in." Gibbs greeted.

"I figured I should knock." Ziva explained.

"Well next time just come in. What brings you to DC anyway?" Gibbs asked.

"I wanted to be here for Tony." Ziva explained.

"Good he needs support. I am resigning from NCIS to take care of him and Jimmy is going to visit him when he can but he needs more than just the two of us." Gibbs explained.

"Doesn't the team know?" Ziva asked.

"No I told Tony that I would let him tell but they are all furious at him. Because he didn't want to get tested to be a marrow donor for Lizzie." Gibbs explained.

"But he is sick." Ziva gasped.

"We didn't know at the time. Even I was unkind to him. He would probably be totally alone if I hadn't of run into Dr. Pitt." Gibbs explained.

"They better shape up when Tony tells them the truth." Ziva hissed.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Tony he just can't see that people care. Ziva and Gibbs confront the team in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	12. Pushed Away

Jimmy nervously ran his hand through his hair. Part of him wished that he had requested an extended care leave. So he wouldn't have to be leaving Lizzie the days she had chemo sessions. Vance had said that NCIS offered care-leave. He had thought about it and talked it over with Breena but they decided that it would be best to maintain some normalcy for Lizzie and for them. Of course when he agreed to that. He wasn't counting on the lack of sleep he got the night before. Weirdly enough his bad night was not because his daughter was sick but because his best-friend was in such bad shape. Sure it had been late when Tony called. So him falling asleep was reasonable and even expected but he just sounded so weak and not Tonyish at all. He had said that he would go and see Tony after work but now he wasn't so sure. What if Tony was doubled over in pain and vomiting all over the place? What if he was beating himself up over the fact that he had fallen asleep while talking about Lizzie?

"Morning" Breena greeted coming downstairs.

"Morning" Jimmy yawned.

"You had a rough night." Breena observed.

"Yeah I couldn't sleep at all." Jimmy admitted.

"Let me guess something about Tony?" Breena asked.

"How do you know?" Jimmy asked.

"You kept muttering Tony under your breath." Breena explained.

"I am scared for Lizzie too but something happened with Tony last night." Jimmy explained.

"What happened? He isn't having some kind of complication, right?" Breena asked.

"He called me in the middle of the night unable to sleep and then when we started talking about Lizzie he fell asleep." Jimmy explained.

"Yeah so? It was late and his chemo is strong. Don't be too upset with him." Breena explained.

"I know but when we were talking he sounded so weak and old. It's like Tony is already gone and I hate it." Jimmy explained.

"Jimmy he was just tired." Breena assured.

"We said horrible things about him." Jimmy blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Breena asked.

"When I told everybody about Lizzie's cancer. None of us knew and when he didn't seem to care. We attacked him. Even Gibbs." Jimmy explained.

"I wouldn't stress too much on that. Tony is as bad about putting his foot in his mouth as you are sometimes. I am sure he chose his words poorly and when your friends find out what is going on they will feel bad." Breena assured.

"He just said that he couldn't." Jimmy replied.

"They will come around." Breena assured.

* * *

The second chemo session was even worse than the first for Tony. He dreaded Ziva, Gibbs, and Jimmy coming by later that afternoon. He was sure that Gibbs would give him an order not to die, Ziva would panic and run back to Israel which wouldn't be so bad actually, and Jimmy would cry. At least everybody else still thought he was the biggest asshole on the planet and wouldn't dare come looking for him. He shuddered at the thought of an Abby hug, McGee turning back into a stuttering green Probie, and whatever reaction Bishop had to a teammate being in the hospital. It was crazy how just the day before he wanted all of those things. He wanted Papa Bear Gibbs, worried, loving Jimmy, and more than anything he wanted Ziva back. Now he had those things and they only made him feel worse. Something he couldn't figure out no matter how much he tried to wrap his brain around it.

"Afternoon Tony how are you feeling today?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"Like crap" Tony admitted.

"I wish I could say I was surprised." Dr. Pitt replied.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with patients?" Tony asked.

"It's my lunch hour." Dr. Pitt replied.

"OK but still why are you here?" Tony asked.

"I wanted to check in on you." Dr. Pitt replied.

"Why? You know I am feeling like crap?!" Tony demanded.

"Believe it or not I care Tony." Dr. Pitt replied.

"You treated me for the plague and make sure my lungs aren't going to kill me. We are not friends. Stop pretending to care just because I have cancer." Tony hissed.

"Tony I care about you. I really do." Dr. Pitt replied.

"What is this some kind of prank? You trying to get a picture of me looking like crap and puking my guts out. So you can show it to your Wolverine buddies and get a good laugh at how this Buckeye has fallen?" Tony asked.

"Jesus no! I would never do that Tony!" Dr. Pitt snapped.

"Everybody else is abandoning me." Tony sniffed.

"Gibbs is falling apart worrying about you." Dr. Pitt offered.

"Right" Tony sighed.

"Tony you can't push people away now. You need your family more than ever." Dr. Pitt explained.

"I have no family." Tony scoffed.

* * *

Gibbs poured himself a glass of bourbon. He knew it was early in the day but he didn't care. He needed to calm down. Ziva was falling apart upstairs and Tony was crumbling at the hospital. He had told Leon that he wasn't coming in and he would be in later on with his retirement papers. Right now though he needed to forget everything. His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. When he saw who it was he wanted to throw it across the room. Instead he answered all while preparing to go up to New York and kick Senior's ass.

"Hello?"

"Oh hello Gibbs."

"What do you want?"

"That's no way to talk to a person."

"Just tell me why you are calling."

"I have been trying to call Junior for days and he won't pick up."

"He's in the hospital."

"What did he do now?"

"He has cancer! Your only child has cancer!"

"Oh great"

"Yeah it's terrible."

"Yeah now that little monster will be even more unbearable."

* * *

**A/N: Will there be anybody Tony doesn't try to push away? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	13. Worry

Friday morning was Lizzie's next chemo session. Jimmy was incredibly nervous for it after seeing how sick Tony was after his second session. He wished he could stop comparing Lizzie's case to Tony's. The similarities ended at them both having leukemia. He let Breena sleep in while he got Lizzie ready for her session. He packed her knapsack with a change of cloths, dried ginger slices (they had helped Breena with her mourning sickness and Ducky said they may help Lizzie too), a bottle of water, and her favorite stuffed animal a rabbit named Donny. He studied his daughter who was dressed in a pair of pink stretch pants and a blue t-shirt with a teddy bear on it. He had slipped her sneakers on her feet and laced them up for her. She still hadn't lost her hair yet but it usually took a few weeks for the hair to start falling out. He could not imagine what it would be like to lose all of your hair at only four years old. He hoped and prayed that her peers wouldn't be too cruel to her for her baldness but he was also hoping that her hair would at least be starting to grow back when she began school in the fall. That would mean that she was cured and that was the only thing he really wanted for her. For her to be cured and for the disease to never come back and leave no side-effects.

"Do I have to go back to the hospital?" Lizzie asked.

"I'm afraid so." Jimmy replied.

"How long?" Lizzie asked.

"Just a few hours this time." Jimmy replied.

"Good I wanna sleep in my bed." Lizzie replied.

"I want to have you at home with us." Jimmy replied.

"Why is mommy so sad?" Lizzie asked.

"She is just worried." Jimmy replied.

* * *

Jimmy let Lizzie sit on his lap during her treatment. Breena sat beside him. Nobody talked much while the youngest Palmer had her chemo. Jimmy sat silently running his finger across Lizzie's arms, Breena read a magazine, and Lizzie watched the cartoon that played on the TV. Jimmy studied his wife. She looked unusually pale and she had mentioned feeling sick but wasn't feverish and hadn't thrown-up. So she was cleared to attend chemo with her daughter. He shuddered at the thought of Breena being sick too. No he was just over-reacting. She probably had just eaten something that didn't agree with her. When Lizzie's session was complete. Jimmy carried her out of the hospital and Breena walked slightly behind them.

"Are you OK?" Jimmy asked.

"Just tired" Breena replied.

"Are you still feeling sick?" Jimmy asked.

"Not really" Breena replied.

"Well if you start feeling bad again let me know and I will get you some medicine." Jimmy replied.

"Thanks but I am OK." Breena assured.

"You sure?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes!" Breena snapped.

* * *

Ziva went with Gibbs when he went to head quarters to turn in his retirement papers. She was actually really looking forward to seeing Abby, Ducky, McGee again and meeting her replacement. She wondered what NCIS would do now that the MCRT was down two agents. McGee was probably ready and capable of becoming Team Lead but from what she had heard. She suspected that Bishop was not ready to be a Senior Field Agent. Come to think of it maybe McGee wasn't ready to be a Lead Agent. A lot was going to be changing at NCIS with Tony and Gibbs leaving and Jimmy only working part-time. Even stranger was knowing that Gibbs was retiring early to take care of Tony while he battled cancer. The elevator door dinged open and Ziva stepped out. Gibbs let the doors slide closed and rode the rest of the way upstairs to Leon's office. It was lunch time and Abby was eating lunch in the bullpen with the team. Getting her crumbs all over Tony's desk. She didn't know if Abby was doing it on purpose or not but it was still infuriating.

"Hi Guys" Ziva greeted.

"Oh My God! Ziva!" Abby cried.

"Ziva is that really you?" McGee asked.

"Ziva?" Bishop asked.

"I came back to America when I found out that Tony was sick." Ziva explained.

"It's so sad." McGee agreed.

"Oh don't tell me you are buying that crap, Ziva!" Abby snapped.

"Really! Tony just said he had cancer to get out of trouble!" Bishop added.

"Guys come on not now." McGee begged.

"How can you guys be so cold!" Ziva demanded.

"Because Tony is lying!" Bishop yelled.

"And he made my Gibbs retire!" Abby added.

"No guys I saw him yesterday and he is really sick." Ziva explained.

"He let you see him?" McGee asked.

"Yes McGee, he did." Ziva replied.

"Did he ask about us?" McGee asked.

"No he was too upset." Ziva replied.

* * *

Tony watched his door. He was expecting somebody to come in and tell him that they cared and that he had to let people in. Why couldn't anybody see that he just wanted to be alone? He was only letting Jimmy in because his friend was taking time away from his daughter to check up on him. It wasn't even what had happened the day he was diagnosed. He just wanted to face this alone. He was so angry and afraid that he had even shut out Dr. Pitt. He wondered if that meant he would have to find a new pulmonologist when he got better. No if he got better or if Brad would look past how much of a Jackass he was. Hell maybe he should just die. At least that would free him from having to worry about his previous behavior. He actually felt a little hurt when the door didn't open. Maybe he secretly wanted somebody to come and take care of him and worry about him. He just couldn't understand why he wanted exactly he did want.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully this is the start of Tony letting people in. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	14. Let Somebody In

Like Tony, Lizzie felt worse after her second chemo session. Thankfully her reaction was not nearly as severe as Tony's. Jimmy and Breena took turns sitting in her room with her while she threw-up and cried. Ducky was on his way with some herbs that he thought may help with the nausea. It was Breena's turn to sit with Lizzie. While Jimmy ran out to grab pizza for the couple to share for dinner. He was going to swing by the grocery store and pick up some chicken noodle soup just in case Lizzie got her appetite back. Breena sat with her daughter lying on her lap. She wished that Jimmy was there instead and that she had gone to get dinner. She knew that she had basically been ignoring her daughter and she felt terrible about it but she was scared to death. She was only a few months old when her sister died but she had heard the story and her mom's death was a traumatic experience.

"Hello Breena! I let myself in!" Ducky called.

"Come on up!" Breena called back.

"How are you holding up?" Ducky asked entering Lizzie's room.

"OK" Breena admitted.

"How is Victoria? Is she feeling any better?" Ducky asked.

"She's been asleep for about twenty minutes." Breena explained.

"What is the longest she has gone without vomiting?" Ducky asked.

"Twenty minutes" Breena replied.

"Excellent hopefully she will be able to sleep for a while." Ducky replied.

"I hope so" Breena agreed.

"Jimmy said you have been trying to get away." Ducky commented.

"What do you mean?" Breena asked even though she knew exactly what Ducky meant.

"Not wanting to be around Lizzie." Ducky explained.

"I know that I should appreciate every moment with her just in case but I cannot stand the idea of you know." Breena explained.

"Oh Breena" Ducky whispered.

"I don't see how Jimmy can be so positive." Breena replied.

"He is being the strong one but he is scared too." Ducky explained.

"How do you know?" Breena asked.

"He has told me." Ducky replied.

"I hope that Lizzie doesn't hate me." Breena said.

"Why would she hate you?" Ducky asked.

"Because I am not with her when she needs me." Breena replied.

"You are with her now and you have a second chance to be with her." Ducky assured.

* * *

Tony was getting sick of the hospital and his hospital room. He was sick of lying in bed and feeling like crap. He just wanted to be Gibbs's, Senior Field Agent. More than anything though. He wanted his teammates to respect him again. Gibbs was pretending to care and Jimmy seemed to care but McGee, Abby, and Bishop hated him. Ducky and Vance well he had no idea with them. Ziva cared but for all he knew she only cared because he was dying. He didn't care what everybody told him. He was dying and he kind of wanted it that way. He wanted to be dead. He couldn't help but laugh out loud when the door to his room opened and McGee walked inside. How did these people know, how he was feeling and what was McGee going to say to him? How hard would he be crying when this was over?

"Tony?" McGee called.

"What?" Tony asked.

"You up for visitors?" McGee asked.

"You gonna treat me like crap?" Tony asked.

"No" McGee replied offended.

"Then why are you here?" Tony asked.

"Vance told me that you were sick and I wanted to check on you." McGee explained.

"You hurt me Probie, you guys hurt me." Tony replied.

"Tony, I am sorry." McGee replied.

"You don't understand." Tony sniffed.

"No I don't but I want to be here for you." McGee explained.

* * *

Ziva fell down on to her bed. She had been staying with Gibbs ever since arriving in the states. So far she had only been able to stay with Tony that one time. She couldn't handle it. She hated seeing him so sick and weak. She hated it. What would she do if he ended up dying? She loved hims so much and she had taken him for granted. Gibbs had always warned her not to take anything for granted and she had taken advantage of the most precious person in her life. The only man she had truly loved. She may never date him, marry him, or have his children. The rest of their relationship may just be her sitting by his hospital bed begging him to open up and then praying for just one more breath. Why hadn't she come back sooner? She had wanted to but she wasn't ready and now she may have come too late. She buried her head in her pillow and cried.

"I love him! Don't take him! I love him!" Ziva yelled.

* * *

Gibbs was struggling with his frustration. Leon had told Abby, McGee, and Bishop about Tony's illness and while McGee was concerned. Abby and Bishop were still being cold and uncaring. Then there was Senior. Tony's own father didn't care that his only child had cancer. From upstairs he heard Ziva yelling and her cries broke his heart. She was as afraid of losing Tony as he was but at least he had time with her. He didn't want to lose another child but even more than that he didn't want one of his children to know the pain of losing the love of her life. He had lost Shannon and now Ziver may lose Tony. He walked upstairs and sat by her side.

"Are you OK, Ziver?" Gibbs asked.

"I am scared for Tony." Ziva admitted.

"Me too" Gibbs replied.

"What if he dies?" Ziva asked.

"I will be there for you." Gibbs assured.

"I know but I want him to live." Ziva replied.

"Me too Ziver, me too." Gibbs agreed.

* * *

**A/N: Will Tony let McGee in? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading. **


	15. Up For Some Fun

Jimmy and Breena ended up sleeping on the floor of Lizzie's bedroom Friday night. She was feeling better by bedtime but she was still throwing up a lot and from time to time became distressed. Jimmy woke up every hour and made sure that she hadn't spiked a fever or anything. They would take turns holding her hair back and taking care of her when she got sick. Saturday morning Lizzie was feeling almost like her old self but her parents were exhausted.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Lizzie called.

"What is it, Lizzie?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm feeling better." Lizzie replied.

"That's good" Jimmy yawned.

"Can I go to Kylie's birthday party?" Lizzie asked.

"I am sorry but you cannot." Jimmy replied.

"Why not?" Lizzie asked.

"Do you remember how we talked about the medicine you had to take making you get sick really easily?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah" Lizzie replied.

"Well you have to avoid germs as much as possible and that means having to miss birthday parties and stay home most of the time." Jimmy explained.

"Not fair!" Lizzie snapped.

"I know it's not." Jimmy whispered pulling her into a hug.

* * *

Tony woke up Saturday morning surprisingly not feeling like he was going to die. Still terrible but he actually had the will to live right now. Nobody had shown up yet and he couldn't say he was surprised. They were probably just getting close to him so they wouldn't feel so guilty when he died. They didn't care about him. If they did they would have been there before he got sick or at least been more understanding when he didn't want to help Lizzie.

"Tony?" Ziva called.

"Oh hi Ziva. I am not on the verge of death today." Tony snapped.

"Tony please stop. I am sorry I showed up when I did. I wanted to come home sooner I really did but I was scared. When I heard you were sick. I wanted to be there to help you get better." Ziva explained.

"What if I don't?" Tony asked.

"Then I will spend the rest of my life mourning you." Ziva replied.

"Until Adam comes along." Tony snarked.

"No Tony. Adam is engaged and off fighting somewhere. I want you and only you." Ziva explained.

"I want you too Ziva." Tony sniffed.

"I am here, Tony." Ziva replied sitting on the bed.

* * *

Jimmy felt terrible for his daughter bad enough she had cancer but now she had to miss out on her friend's birthday party. He couldn't imagine being that sickly and isolated at such an early age. He had had his health problems growing up but never anything that kept him away from the outside world. They just limited what he could and couldn't eat and the type of plants his mom could grow in the garden.

"How is she?" Jimmy asked.

"She is feeling a little better." Breena explained.

"I wish that we could let her go to Kylie's party." Jimmy sighed.

"I do too but the chemo is starting to take effect and there is so much going around." Breena explained.

"Maybe if she wore a mask." Jimmy suggested.

"But what if the kids make fun of her?" Breena asked.

"We tell their parents what's going on and if they let their kids tease her than they are jerks and I don't want my daughter around them." Jimmy replied through gritted teeth.

"If you are sure." Breena replied.

"This could be her last normal day for months, years even." Jimmy replied.

"You are right I will call Barbra. You get Lizzie ready." Breena replied.

* * *

Ever since he had gone private practice two years earlier Dr. Brad Pitt had taken off most Saturdays. He kept his pager on at all times should an emergency arise. Today he had no emergencies yet anyway but his fiancee was visiting her sister in New Jersey and he had nothing else to do. So he decided to check on his favorite patient. Tony had been in the hospital for almost a week and he must be going crazy with boredom. Considering he was pushing most people away. The doctor walked down the halls of Bethesda carrying a backpack that contained several DVD's and a hand-held football came. Over the years he had gotten extremely close to Tony and would do anything to put the smile back on his face. He got to Tony's room and heard strange noises coming from inside. Fearing Tony was in some kind of distress he flung the door open. What he saw caused the doctor to turn a bright red color and he could imagine how bad it must have been for Tony. Who was on top of Ziva. He slammed the door closed and fell into the wall. Maybe he was wrong. No he couldn't be. How on Earth could they do that without setting off the machines Tony was on? At least Tony was letting people in literally and feeling better than he had in days.

"Are you alright?" Dr. Pitt a nurse asked.

"Yeah" Dr. Pitt replied.

"You seem upset." The nurse replied.

"No I am fine." Dr. Pitt replied.

"OK well let me just check on Mr. DiNozzo then." The nurse replied.

"NO!" Dr. Pitt replied.

"Why not?" The nurse asked.

"He's sleeping." Dr. Pitt lied.

"I have been nursing for twenty-seven years I am sure I can check him without waking him." The nurse assured.

"Uh hey does this mole look cancerous to you?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"Not really but get it checked out if you aren't sure." The nurse replied.

"Thanks Kim" Dr. Pitt replied.

"I really need to check on Tony now Brad." Kim replied.

"OK! Kim check on Tony now!" Dr. Pitt cried.

"Why are you yelling Brad?" Kim asked.

"No reason" Dr. Pitt lied.

* * *

Tony looked at Ziva beside him on the bed. She was buried underneath the sheets. He could not believe what had just happened. He had been caught having sex in the hospital. It had all happened so fast. Ziva had showed up and she looked so beautiful. For the first time in weeks he felt OK and it had just sort of happened. He was probably lucky that he hadn't given Dr. Pitt a heart-attack.

"Oh Tony I can't believe this." Ziva sobbed.

"It's OK Ziva he didn't see anything on you." Tony assured.

"I know but in a hospital what is wrong with us." Ziva replied.

"I don't know." Tony replied.

"OK! Kim check on Tony now!" Dr. Pitt cried from the other side of the door.

"I need to go." Ziva replied nervously tossing on her clothes and running out of the room.

* * *

**A/N: The scene with Dr. Pitt catching Tony and Ziva and then telling nurse Kim that Tony was sleeping is based on a scene from Scrubs. I can see Tony and Ziva having sex in a hospital and getting caught. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	16. Sexual Consequences

Jimmy and Breena dreaded taking Lizzie back to the hospital on Monday. With the weekend in between she had been able to bounce back with little issues. She had a great time at the birthday party Saturday afternoon. Even though it did wear her out she ended up falling asleep on the drive home and sleeping through the night. Sunday she was able to attend church with her parents, Ed, and Breena's sister's family. She did well during the service but the Palmer family opted to skip Sunday brunch and spend the rest of the day relaxing at home. Lizzie was fading fast and Breena had to leave the Sanctuary and spend the remainder of the service in the Parish Hall crying after they mentioned Lizzie's name in the prayers. Monday morning Breena was still acting strange. Jimmy had woken up early and noticed that Breena ran to the bathroom several times during the morning. Jimmy got Lizzie ready while Breena traded time between lying on the couch and running to the bathroom. Breena came out of the downstairs bathroom just as Jimmy was carrying Lizzie out the front door.

"Jimmy wait" Breena called.

"Breena are you OK?" Jimmy asked.

"I have just felt sick the past few days." Breena explained.

"OK I will take Lizzie by myself and I will call Ducky to come check on you." Jimmy replied.

"No I want to go." Breena replied.

"Breena if you are throwing up you shouldn't be around cancer patients." Jimmy reminded.

"I am not contagious. I am seeing Dr. Paul this afternoon to double check but I know it's nothing contagious." Breena explained.

"How do you know if you haven't been to the doctor yet?"Jimmy asked.

"I just know OK. I will tell you later." Breena replied grabbing her purse and exiting the house.

* * *

Jimmy knew that he had no chance in an argument with Breena. Sometimes she was as hard-headed and forceful as Gibbs. She was Ed's daughter for sure. Jimmy thought remembering the hell Ed put Jimmy through before Breena and him married. All he could do was hope that Breena was telling the truth and whatever was wrong with her wasn't contagious and wouldn't put Lizzie and the other cancer patients in danger. Breena ran for the bathroom as soon as the family arrived to the hospital. Lizzie was already set up to and receiving her chemo drip. By the time Breena arrived back into the room. Jimmy studied his wife as she semi collapsed beside him into the chair beside Lizzie's bed.

"You sure you are OK?" Jimmy asked.

"Fine just dizzy." Breena replied.

"Dizzy? Maybe you are dehydrated." Jimmy suggested.

"No it's nothing like that." Breena replied.

"Are you sure?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah I took the test this morning." Breena muttered.

"Test?" Jimmy asked.

"Nevermind forget I said anything." Breena replied.

"Breena are you pregnant again?" Jimmy asked.

"The test was positive but I am not sure yet. I am seeing Dr. Paul this afternoon. It could just be nerves it was an old test leftover from Lizzie." Breena explained.

"You still have those? You've moved twice." Jimmy asked.

"They were still new when I moved in with you. Then when we got this place I just tossed them in with my other bathroom stuff without paying attention." Breena explained.

"Well I hope it is positive." Jimmy replied.

"Me too this isn't the best time but we have wanted another natural child since Lizzie was a year old. The boy we are adopting is going to be a great addition but I still want another biological child. I loved being pregnant with Lizzie." Breena explained.

"I just always wanted a big family." Jimmy replied.

"Same here" Breena agreed.

* * *

Tony had another chemo session on Monday. The doctors had decided that he needed treatment every day. Just his luck he had to get poison poured into his body everyday. At this point even if he beat this stupid illness. He would have permanent effects from the treatments. He was finally getting comfortable after chemo when the door to his room opened and Dr. Pitt entered. At least it was less awkward and humiliating than the last time Dr. Pitt had come into his room.

"Tony you up?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"Yeah" Tony replied.

"We need to talk." Dr. Pitt said.

"About what?" Tony asked.

"You know what about." Dr. Pitt replied.

"Saturday" Tony guessed.

"Saturday" Dr. Pitt confirmed.

"How much trouble am I in?" Tony asked.

"I am going to let you off with a warning. I was the only one who saw so I can do that but Tony this can't become a habit. First of all the chemo you are on is very hard on the heart and lungs. Yours are already pretty seriously damaged from the plague." Dr. Pitt explained.

"So I go out on top of a woman. Better than rotting from the inside thanks to cancer." Tony scoffed.

"However you want out man but you still can't be having sex in your hospital bed." Dr. Pitt explained.

"Why doctors do it all the time on medical shows." Tony commented.

"And in real life but Tony you are a patient." Dr. Pitt replied.

"Just tell me what I am doing wrong?!" Tony demanded.

"Like I said your chemo is stressing your heart. If you died on top of Ziva. Gibbs could very well sue us for negligence. Also you are on a heart monitor and machines that if disturbed could go off and cause nurses to think that you are coding. What if another patient actually was in trouble and because we were all dealing with you setting your own machines off the other patient died?" Dr. Pitt asked.

"So I can't have sex? What can I do?" Tony asked.

"Here books by your favorite authors, DVD's, a PS4 and multiple sports related games. All nice quiet but stimulating activities." Dr. Pitt explained handing Tony a backpack.

"Thanks" Tony replied he would still rather have sex with Ziva while he could but at least now he had stuff to keep him busy. Even when he could barely sit up from the chemo.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully Dr. Pitt's gift will keep Tony out of trouble. Is Breena really pregnant? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	17. Sensitive Subjects

**A/N: Like the title says this chapter deals with sensitive subjects. Whether or not to allow doctors to revive a loved one and assisted suicide. It probably isn't well written but I hope to write better on the subjects later on as Jimmy and Breena face all the possible outcomes of Lizzie's illness and Gibbs, Ziva, and Tony deal with Tony's decline.**

* * *

Breena's appointment was at two-forty five that afternoon. Jimmy and her had agreed that if she were pregnant they were going to keep it a secret until the second trimester. They had told everybody about Lizzie the day they found out but things were different back then. Miscarriages were extremely common in the first trimester and between the soon to arrive adoptive son and more seriously Lizzie's illness. The Palmer's were under a ton more stress this pregnancy than they were with Lizzie. Lizzie had just finished her treatment an hour earlier but they had to observe her for a while and make sure she didn't have any bad reactions to the treatment.

"Mr. and Mrs. Palmer?" Dr. Brown called from the doorway.

"What is it doctor?" Jimmy asked.

"May I speak to you guys in my office real fast?" Dr. Brown asked.

"Yeah of course." Breena replied.

"We will be back in a few minutes, Lizzie." Jimmy whispered.

Jimmy and Breena followed Dr. Brown into his office. The very same office they had discussed Lizzie's diagnosis. The couple nervously slid into the chairs in front of the desk. Dreading what the doctor was about to tell them.

"Let me first assure you that thus far Lizzie is responding incredibly well to her treatment." Dr. Brown explained.

"Then why did you call us back here?" Jimmy asked.

"This is a very hard thing to discuss especially with parents but if things were to take a bad turn. Would you want extreme measures to be taken or not?" Dr. Brown asked.

"Extreme measures?" Breena asked.

"Would we want them to revive Lizzie or not if she were to crash." Jimmy explained.

"Well yes of course I mean she is our child." Breena replied.

"I don't know Breena. I have seen people crash and the revival. It's extremely rough on the patient and a lot of times ribs are broken. Plus there is the risk of brain damage and sometimes the person is revived but they were without oxygen so long that they are a vegetable." Jimmy explained.

"Are you saying you don't want our daughter if she is brain-damaged? What does she have to be a perfect little genius to have your love?" Breena snapped.

"Of course not but it's not like she will be slow I mean she could be but I have seen people who ended up requiring round the clock care." Jimmy explained.

"Yeah so? We will figure it out." Breena replied.

"Breena I..." Jimmy started.

"I don't want to hear it." Breena interrupted.

"How about you guys talk this over when you bring Lizzie in on Wednesday?" Dr. Brown suggested.

"That might be best." Jimmy agreed.

"Yeah fine" Breena snapped.

* * *

Breena was at the doctor and Jimmy was home alone with Lizzie. She was asleep upstairs and Jimmy was downstairs reading. Breena had not said a word to him since they left Dr. Brown's office. He knew that he had been brash with her but he wanted her to know the truth. He didn't want his daughter to die but he didn't want her to suffer either. The door swung open and Breena walked inside.

"Hey Breena, how did it go?" Jimmy asked.

"It was positive I am pregnant. The ultrasound shows that I am about five weeks." Breena replied harshly.

"That's great, Breena" Jimmy replied.

"I guess you are just happy that we will have a baby to replace Lizzie when she dies or if she isn't perfect anymore." Dr. Brown explained.

"No Breena it's nothing like that." Jimmy argued.

"Just leave me alone. I am going to lie down for a bit." Breena replied.

"OK" Jimmy replied.

* * *

Around seven Jimmy realized that Breena was not going to come back downstairs. She had gone to bed angry and did not want to see his face again that evening. He was beginning to get light-headed so he ordered a medium pepperoni pizza to be delivered. He had a can of plain broth on hand for if Lizzie got hungry and he figured if Breena decided to come downstairs there would be enough pizza for her to make a dinner. The pizza came about seven-thirty and Jimmy ended up eating half of it alone on the couch. Around nine he started getting ready for bed. He showered, changed into his pajamas and grabbed a blanket and pillow out of the linen closet and tossed them on the couch. He didn't dare try to go upstairs and face Breena again that evening. He tried to sleep but found himself growing restless. At about two in the morning he gave up on sleep, sat up, and turned on the TV. Fifteen minutes later he heard footsteps on the stairs. Seconds later Breena was standing over him. She had two pamphlets in her hands.

"What the hell are these?" Breena demanded.

"Pamphlets" Jimmy replied.

"I can see that! I can also see that they are pamphlets on assisted suicide!" Breena snapped.

"I picked them up at the family help center after Lizzie was diagnosed." Jimmy explained.

"Do you want to kill our child?!" Breena snapped.

"No but if it comes down to it and she is terminal. I don't want her to suffer." Jimmy explained.

"You just want her dead!" Breena snapped.

"No, I don't. I hate thinking of her dying but it could happen and I want to know that we are educated in all of our options." Jimmy explained.

"Options?! You just want our daughter dead!" Breena snapped.

"No I don't but Breena..." Jimmy argued.

"You know what I am done! This is over! I can't be married to a man who wants to kill our daughter and I don't want you in her life or the lives of our babies!" Breena yelled.

"Are you kicking me out?" Jimmy asked.

"You have fifteen minutes to pack a suitcase before I call the cops!" Breena spat.

* * *

Jimmy quickly packed his suit-case full of clothes, his work credentials, a few books, his tooth-brush, and a photo album. He threw his suitcase into the back of his car and sped away from the house. Tears were falling from his face and his heart was breaking. He wished that Breena had let him say goodbye to Lizzie. He found himself driving around in the middle of the night wondering where he was going to and what he was going to do. After an hour of driving around he pulled up to the one place he knew that was always open and Lord knows that he understood relationship problems. He parked behind the red mini-cooper in the driveway and climbed out of his car. Hoping that the always open door was a real thing and not just another work-place legend. He walked up to the porch and twisted the door knob. The door opened and he walked inside. He sat down on the couch and picked up the remote. As long as he was here. There were a couple more Gibbs rumors he wanted to test.

"What are you doing here kid?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothing" Jimmy lied.

"Take it from me kid. When a guy shows up with a suitcase to the house of the last possible person he would ask a favor of, in the middle of the night. It ain't a good thing." Gibbs explained.

"Breena kicked me out." Jimmy admitted.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Jimmy replied.

"OK it's late and we are all exhausted. I will let you go to bed but we are going to discuss this first thing in the morning." Gibbs explained.

"Where am I going to sleep?" Jimmy asked.

"Couch for now I will crash in the basement. We will make a more permanent decision in tomorrow when Ziver is awake." Gibbs explained.

"OK" Jimmy yawned.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Jimmy, will Breena let him back in? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading. **


	18. Unexpected Ally

Jimmy tossed and turned on Gibbs's couch. Two weeks ago his life had been perfect and now it was a nightmare. Two weeks ago he was happily married with a healthy biological daughter and an adoptive son on the way. Now his daughter had cancer, his wife had thrown him out, and he would likely never see his new son or the new baby that Breena was carrying. It was almost like he was the subject of some sick hidden camera prank show. The sun shone through Gibbs's window and Jimmy woke up in a cold sweat.

"Good morning, Gibbs" Ziva greeted.

"It's me" Jimmy mumbled.

"Jimmy? What are you doing here?" Ziva asked.

"Breena and I broke up." Jimmy explained.

"Oh I am sorry." Ziva apologized.

"Thanks" Jimmy replied.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ziva asked.

"No" Jimmy replied.

"Morning Jimmy, morning Ziver." Gibbs greeted coming up from the basement.

"Morning Gibbs" Jimmy muttered.

"Morning Gibbs" Ziva replied.

"Hey Ziver can you run to the store and grab us some orange juice?" Gibbs asked.

"With pulp or without?" Ziva asked.

"With" Gibbs replied.

"On it" Ziva replied grabbing her keys.

* * *

Jimmy watched out the window as Ziva walked out to her car, climbed inside, backed out of the driveway, and drove away. He had hoped that Ziva waking up before Gibbs would get him out of talking about the night before. He couldn't talk about if. He couldn't even think of it. Lizzie was his world and Breena was the love of his life and now he had lost both of them. Even worse he wouldn't be able to be there for Lizzie's treatment. If she died he would find out in a phone call. As of now anyway Breena was too angry at him to let him know if Lizzie took a turn for the worse.

"What happened, kid?" Gibbs asked.

"Yesterday when we took Lizzie in for her treatment. Her oncologist wanted to talk to us." Jimmy started.

"Everything OK?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes he just wanted to know if we would want Lizzie revived if she went into cardiac arrest or anything." Jimmy replied.

"Oh really?" Gibbs asked raising his eyebrow.

"It's a standard question for anyone battling a major illness." Jimmy explained.

"OK, go on." Gibbs replied.

"I watched people be revived when I was doing my residency and in medical school. It's not something I want my daughter to go through but Breena wanted them to revive her." Jimmy explained.

"I could understand where that would cause a pretty major fight." Gibbs commented.

"She went to bed furious but it got worse." Jimmy replied.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked.

"I got pamphlets on assisted suicide. I don't want it to come down to that but if she was terminal and suffering..." Jimmy explained.

"I understand." Gibbs replied.

"I wish that Breena felt that way but she thinks I just want our daughter dead and she hates me. She wouldn't even let me say goodbye to Lizzie." Jimmy explained.

"Look kid DNR's and assisted suicide are very controversial and difficult subjects. It's hell for Tony having to make those decisions. I cannot imagine what it must be like for a parent to have to make that kind of decision for their child." Gibbs explained.

"So who's side are you on?" Jimmy asked.

"I am not taking sides. It is not my business. I just wanted to know what was up and see if I could help you guys see eye to eye again. You can stay here for a few days but you will have to talk it out with Breena. I will mediate but you have to talk it out." Gibbs explained.

"She made it clear she never wanted to see me again." Jimmy argued.

"I will take care of it." Gibbs grunted.

"Just give me some time." Jimmy pleaded.

"You have three days but after that we are going to talk it out." Gibbs explained.

"Great" Jimmy sighed.

"Hey it will be OK." Gibbs assured.

"I hope so, Gibbs. I hope so." Jimmy sighed.

"This is a very emotional time for you and Breena. It won't be easy but you do need some time to cool down and then you will be able to at least try to work things out." Gibbs explained.

"It's over. I lost everything." Jimmy sniffed.

"Oh kid, I am so sorry." Gibbs apologized pulling Jimmy into a tight hug.

"It's not fair. She was the love of my life. Everything was perfect and now it is all over. My daughter has cancer and my wife left me. I ruined everything. I feel so lost and helpless!" Jimmy cried.

"It's going to get better. I know it." Gibbs assured.

"No it's not my life is over. It's just over." Jimmy cried.

* * *

Jimmy sobbed in Gibbs's arms. He finally had a close relationship with Gibbs and it was all because his life had fallen apart. He would take back his first days at NCIS where Gibbs hated him. Because according to Tony. He hated anyone who may replace Ducky. If it meant that he could have his family back. All he wanted was for Lizzie to be healthy and for Breena to love him again. He just wanted his family back. He cried and Gibbs rubbed his back. They were both late for work. Ziva had come back but when she saw what was happening. She had hastily set the juice in the fridge and headed off again to go and see Tony.

"I can't. I...I just can't." Jimmy sobbed.

"Things will turn around." Gibbs assured.

"What if I can't get Breena to take me back?" Jimmy asked.

"Then you will at least have a relationship as exes and parents who have two children to love and care for." Gibbs explained.

"Three kids, Breena is pregnant but she hates me. She will never stop." Jimmy replied.

* * *

**A/N: At least Jimmy has Gibbs for support. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	19. Jimmy and Ziva

Jimmy hated missing Lizzie's chemo session on Wednesday but he knew that Breena would just kick him out and he didn't want to further upset his daughter. More than anything he was worried that Lizzie would think that he didn't care about her anymore? She was only four after all and Breena was pissed enough that she probably had told Lizzie all kinds of terrible things about him. He pretty much knew that it was over between them but hopefully Gibbs was right and she would at least forgive him enough to let him back into Lizzie's life. He missed his baby girl more than he had ever missed anybody else before. Wednesday night Jimmy was alone because Ziva and Gibbs were visiting Tony. He couldn't bring himself to go and see his friend again. Even though he had promised that he would come as often as he could. Tony had been in such bad shape when he last saw him and he was still so angry at everyone.

"Hello Jimmy" Ziva greeted setting a Styrofoam carry out box at the seat across from his.

"Hey Ziva, what are you eating?" Jimmy asked.

"Pastrami sandwich from the Jewish Deli near Bethesda. Sorry I didn't get you anything but I didn't know if you liked anything from there and my phone is out of juice." Ziva apologized.

"It's alright I ordered some Chinese food. I know how much Gibbs likes it and he has been so good to me the past couple of days." Jimmy explained.

"You know Gibbs is hanging out until visiting hours are over." Ziva replied.

"I know but I figured it would be nice for him to come home to food." Jimmy replied.

"That was nice of you." Ziva replied.

"How's Tony doing?" Jimmy asked.

"He was asleep when I left which is merciful. He was throwing up and miserable all afternoon. Nothing is helping him." Ziva explained.

"Is he still pushing people away?" Jimmy asked.

"At this point he is too weak to fight." Ziva explained.

"I hope he beats the cancer. The drugs he is on are extremely powerful and bound to make him extremely sick and weak but they are also more likely to make him get better." Jimmy explained,

"I just reconnected with him. We are finally on the same page. He can't die now. He just can't. He has to be OK." Ziva sobbed.

"I'm sorry Ziva. I didn't mean to upset you." Jimmy apologized.

"No...No it's not you. I'm sorry." Ziva cried.

* * *

Jimmy was taken aback. He didn't know what to to. He had never seen Ziva cry before. He had barely seen her show emotion other than rage anyway. Now she was sitting right in front of him completely breaking down. In her hysterics she had knocked her sandwich to the floor. She was too worked up to notice. So Jimmy scooped it up, re-wrapped the container and put it inside the fridge. Ziva's entire body was shaking and the table was wet from her tears and snot. He really wished that Gibbs was there to comfort her. He was the only person who could successfully get through to her when she was upset.

"Hey it's OK." Jimmy assured wrapping Ziva in a tight hug.

"No it's not. It's never going to be OK again." Ziva sobbed.

"You don't know that. Tony is strong and he doesn't just give up." Jimmy replied.

"You haven't seen him! You haven't been to the hospital in days! You don't understand!" Ziva cried.

"You weren't there but he looked pretty bad when he had the plague and now it's almost like it never happened." Jimmy offered.

"It's different this time. It's like a hundred times worse." Ziva argued.

"Come on try to stay positive." Jimmy begged.

"I can't! And clearly you can't either! You haven't been to see him in days and you left your family! It's clear you can't face Lizzie's cancer!" Ziva snapped shoving Jimmy to the ground.

"It's not that simple." Jimmy replied pulling himself back up.

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked.

* * *

Jimmy was surprised how easy it was to explain to Ziva what had happened between him and Breena. It was much easier than when he had to spill to Gibbs. When it was all over she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her.

"Oh Jimmy I had no idea." Ziva apologized wiping her own tears away.

"I guess Gibbs really is a good confidant." Jimmy commented.

"Oh yeah he would have only told if you had said that you were going to kill yourself or hurt Breena in some way and even then it would just be Ducky." Ziva explained.

"Did he tell you anything?" Jimmy asked.

"Just that you and Breena were having problems because of Lizzie's cancer." Ziva explained.

"It's hard for me but Breena is a disaster." Jimmy replied.

"Had you guys been having problems before or is it all stemming from Lizzie's illness?" Ziva asked.

"We were fine. I mean like any couple we fought but we were never angry at each other more than a day or two." Jimmy explained.

"And now you haven't even spoken in days." Ziva commented.

"Unfortunately it is not uncommon at all for couples to split up when a child is facing a serious illness even worse if the child dies." Jimmy explained.

"I really hope you guys can work things out. You are such a sweet couple." Ziva replied.

"I just want us to at least be friends. I don't want Lizzie to have cancer and parents who hate each other." Jimmy replied.

"She will come around." Ziva assured.

"I hope so." Jimmy replied.

"Have you tried talking to her yet?" Ziva asked.

"Gibbs said to give it a few days. We were going to go over tomorrow and see if she was ready to talk yet." Jimmy explained.

"I am glad Gibbs is going to help you. He is surprisingly good at getting people to talk things out." Ziva replied.

"Good" Jimmy replied.

"After you are done talking to Breena maybe you can come and see Tony. He would probably really like to see you." Ziva suggested.

"If it goes well I just might." Jimmy replied.

* * *

**A/N: Will Breena listen to Jimmy and Gibbs? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	20. The Confrontation

Jimmy was officially out of time and excuses. Gibbs had given him an ultimatum either he at least attempt to talk to Breena or check into a hotel. It sounded harsh and cold but it was in his best interest. He had to face her at some point and for Lizzie's sake. It had to be sooner rather than later. He may lose his wife but he refused to lose his little girl in the process. Ziva was staying with Tony at the hospital and Gibbs was taking him over to speak with Breena. It was Thursday meaning that Lizzie didn't have chemo that day. So Breena was sure to be home or would be home at any time. Since she only went to the hospital and grocery store, since Lizzie was diagnosed. Gibbs pulled into the driveway and for a long time Jimmy just sat in the car shaking. Gibbs reached over and placed his hand on his shoulders.

"You have to get out eventually." Gibbs reminded.

"I can't" Jimmy replied.

"Yes you can. I am going to be right beside you. I will intervene if she refuses to listen." Gibbs assured.

"I know but what if it's really over?" Jimmy asked.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it." Gibbs replied.

"I just want to check into a hotel. I can't do this." Jimmy argued.

"No! You are doing this! You are not living in fear." Gibbs demanded.

"Promise you have my six?" Jimmy asked.

"I swear." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Jimmy took a deep breath and then slowly climbed out of the truck. Gibbs pulled his keys out of the ignition and then climbed out and followed Jimmy up to the front door. Jimmy took another deep breath and looked back at Gibbs. "Go ahead kid" the older man whispered. He shook his head and then nervously knocked on the door.

"Can't people read anymore?! The sign says "Sick child! ABSOLUTELY NO SOLICITORS!"" Breena yelled from inside the house

Jimmy looked back at Gibbs again "Knock again. She will answer." Gibbs whispered. Jimmy knocked again. Harder and louder than he had the first time.

"Jesus Christ! You woke her up! I hope you are happy! This had better be an emergency!" Breena yelled as she stormed towards the door. "What the hell are you doing here?! I thought we were clear I never wanted to see you again!" Breena demanded as she flung the door open.

"Breena I just wanted to talk about what happened the other day." Jimmy replied nervously.

"Oh you mean when you said you wanted our child to die so bad you would kill her, if the cancer didn't?!" Breena demanded.

"Breena he never said that. He just didn't want her to suffer." Gibbs intervened.

"You got a lot of nerve helping him! Jesus! Didn't your daughter die?! I bet it was really Jimmy who killed her!" Breena snapped.

"I was only eight when Kelly died." Jimmy argued.

"Breena please you need to calm down and hear Jimmy out." Gibbs explained.

"Shut-up! And both of you get out! If I ever see either of you again I am going to call the police!" Breena snapped.

"Breena..." Gibbs started.

"NO! Stop! Just stop! None of you can understand what this is like for me. My daughter has cancer. I don't if she is going to be OK and everybody is siding with the guy who wants her dead. The man I thought I love but I don't know." Breena rambled as she collapsed to the ground.

"Breena just relax. You are stressing." Jimmy offered.

"No! Go away! I hate you! I hate you!" Breena yelled as she rocked back and forth.

"Breena you don't mean any of that. You are stressed out and sleep deprived. I will watch Lizzie for a while and you just rest and then go talk things out with Jimmy." Gibbs offered.

"What do you want to do? Distract me while you and Jimmy, kill Lizzie?!" Breena demanded.

"Of course not. I just think..." Gibbs replied.

"I can't anymore. I just can't." Breena replied slamming the door in Jimmy's face.

* * *

"Breena! Come on! Open up, I'm sorry! Breena!" Jimmy yelled pounding on the door. A few minutes later the door swung open and Breena stormed out carrying her purse and a small suit case. She shoved passed Jimmy, threw her suitcase in the back of her mini van and then climbed in the front seat and then sped off. Jimmy stood beside Gibbs on the driveway and watched dumbfounded. He knew Breena was having a hard time coping with Lizzie's diagnosis but he wasn't expecting her just to leave.

"Daddy?" Lizzie called from the doorway.

"What is it, Lizzie?" Jimmy asked fearing that his daughter had heard the whole fight and was now thinking that he wanted to hurt her.

"What's wrong with mommy? I heard yelling and then she left." Lizzie asked.

"What did you hear?" Jimmy asked.

"Just loud yelling and then mommy left." Lizzie replied.

"Mommy is just really sad and had to get away for a while but I am going to stay here and take care of you." Jimmy explained.

"Where were you?" Lizzie asked.

"He was staying with me. Because he thought that you and your mommy needed some girls only time before your daddy came." Gibbs explained.

"OK" Lizzie replied.

"Come on lets get you to the couch to watch some cartoons." Jimmy replied picking up his daughter and carrying her back inside.

* * *

Jimmy placed Lizzie on the couch and put on Disney Junior. Before long she was distracted by an episode of "Doc McStuffins" and the incident was seemingly forgotten. Jimmy walked into the kitchen and saw Gibbs standing in front of the fridge studying the meager contents.

"Sorry we don't have much. We've been eating a lot of take out the past couple weeks." Jimmy apologized.

"It's OK. I just thought I would get dinner on for you and Lizzie." Gibbs replied.

"Thanks but this thing with Breena killed my appetite." Jimmy replied.

"I will make a little something for Lizzie and me and if you get hungry later there will be a little for you." Gibbs offered.

"OK" Jimmy replied.

"Don't worry kid it will get better." Gibbs assured.

"I hope so." Jimmy replied.

"It will it always does trust me." Gibbs replied.

"I just wonder where she went." Jimmy replied.

"It should show up on your credit card bills." Gibbs explained.

* * *

**A/N: Where did Breena go and will she come back? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	21. Breaking Point

Jimmy was thrilled to be able to see his daughter again. What he wasn't at all happy about were the circumstances that reunited them. He hated that Breena fell apart so bad and felt that running away was the best option for her. It killed him to see her in so much pain and know that he could do as much to help her as he could to help Lizzie. While Gibbs got dinner ready Jimmy walked into the living room and sat down beside Lizzie on the couch.

"Daddy?" Lizzie asked sweetly.

"What is it baby girl?" Jimmy asked.

"Did mommy leave because of me?" Lizzie asked.

"No, why would you think that?" Jimmy asked.

"You said she was sad and I am sick." Lizzie explained.

"No, Lizzie this isn't your fault. It's nobodies fault." Jimmy assured.

"I missed you and now I miss her." Lizzie commented.

"I know I miss her too and I really missed you." Jimmy explained.

"I'm scared" Lizzie admitted.

"I am too." Jimmy replied.

* * *

Gibbs stood in the doorway and watched the scene unfold. He felt for the Palmer family. To have a child fighting such a cruel illness, the rift it had caused in Jimmy and Breena's marriage, and now Breena's obvious and serious mental problems. He hated to see Jimmy's life fall apart. He hated that Lizzie and Tony had cancer. He wished that it could be him who was sick. Lizzie was just a child and Tony had suffered more in his life than anybody should. Lizzie's words stabbed his heart. Bad enough she had cancer but her mom had just left. It was all too much for a four year old to handle. He looked to Jimmy, who was struggling not only comprehend what had happened but also to explain it to his child. He could not imagine what that kid must be going through. The only good that came out of Kelly dying was that he didn't have to explain what had happened to her and where her mother had gone.

"Jimmy? Come here' Gibbs called.

"I have to go help Mr. Gibbs. you just stay here." Jimmy told Lizzie.

* * *

Jimmy got off the couch and walked into the kitchen. He was so grateful for Gibbs for not only trying to help him get through to Breena but also staying with him and helping him out with Lizzie. He knew that Gibbs would much rather be spending his time with Tony. In his defense Tony probably did need him more anyway. He stepped into the kitchen and Gibbs closed the door behind him.

"What is it, sir?" Jimmy asked.

"You aren't a kid nor are you a lower ranking Marine. You can call me Gibbs." Gibbs replied.

"Sorry I never call you sir. I only call Ducky and Ed that. I am just stressed and nervous." Jimmy explained.

"It's fine" Gibbs assured.

"What did you want to see me about?" Jimmy asked.

"I heard you talking to Lizzie." Gibbs commented.

"What did I do wrong?" Jimmy asked.

"You handled it perfectly." Gibbs assured.

"Then what's up?" Jimmy asked.

"You really can't handle this alone." Gibbs replied.

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do?! Breena left and even if she were here. She is falling apart and she is pregnant. It's way too much for her! If she went to Ed, he is going to take her side and hate me even more than before! I guess I could talk to Ducky but I don't know!" Jimmy cried.

"I mean you need professional help and Breena does too." Gibbs explained.

"Like a shrink?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes for you but Breena is in clear need of intense psychiatric therapy." Gibbs explained.

"I'll start calling the shrinks on the NCIS insurance tomorrow." Jimmy replied.

"I was thinking Rachel." Gibbs replied.

"No she is too close to me. I need somebody impartial." Jimmy explained.

"That is very mature of you." Gibbs commented.

"I have to be the adult now. Lizzie is just a kid and Breena is clearly falling apart. I promised to step-up and be the adult when Lizzie first got sick and now that Breena is sick too. I have to live up to my promise." Jimmy explained.

"Well you will not be doing it alone." Gibbs assured.

* * *

Ziva ran her hand through Tony's hair. When she pulled her hand away a large clump came with it. She opened her hand and studied the clump. She knew that chemo made people lose their hair but she didn't think it would happen to Tony. He had always prided himself on his hair and now he was losing all of it. She dreaded him waking up and seeing what had happened. He got so stressed out and scared already. She briefly considered getting super glue and reattaching the hair she had pulled off of his scalp. No that would put him at risk for a rash and he already had enough pain and medical problems. She set the hair on the table, stood up, and raced out of the room and down the hall. She was running so fast that she almost took out McGee.

"Whoa, Ziva what's wrong?" McGee asked.

"I was with Tony and he was sleeping and... and..." Ziva sobbed.

"Oh Ziva please tell me he didn't..." McGee started.

"He didn't die but I was stroking his hair and a big clump came out." Ziva explained.

"That happens to most chemo patients, Ziva. It's OK." McGee assured.

"I know but it shouldn't happen to Tony!" Ziva cried.

"He loves his hair but he knows it will grow back." McGee assured.

"What if it doesn't?" Ziva asked.

"Then he will at least know that he beat cancer and that will trump not having hair anymore." McGee explained.

"What if he dies and he is bald?" Ziva asked.

"Come on, Z be positive. You'll see it is going to be OK." McGee assured.

"I can't McGee." Ziva admitted.

"Come on let's get you a some soup and a nice beverage." McGee replied taking Ziva under his arms and guiding her towards the elevator.

* * *

**A/N: Finally somebody stepping up to help Ziva. New chapter wll be up sppn. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	22. Hurts

Jimmy didn't get any sleep at all that night. Any time he tried he had nightmares of all the horrific things that could happen to Breena. All the horrible things she could do to herself. Gibbs had offered to let him bring Lizzie to his house. He had even said that he would clean up _Kelly's _room for her. The one part of the Gibbs house that even Tony, Abby, and Ducky had never even seen. The only door in that house that was ever locked. Jimmy was flattered by the offer but he didn't want to stress Lizzie any further and sleeping in a strange house would certainly stress a four year old. Not wanting Jimmy to stay alone. Gibbs had called Ziva and let her know that he would be spending the night with the Palmer's. Jimmy had never been more relieved to hear his alarm clock ring. The shrill buzz was the only thing that would free him from his nightmares. His relieve was about as short lived as any rest he managed to get the night before. Because he rolled over, flipped off his alarm clock, and started to sit up. It was in that moment that it hit him like a ton of bricks that he had to take Lizzie to chemo in two hours. He had to take his daughter to her cancer treatment that would leave her miserable for the entire afternoon and evening. Maybe even into Saturday and he had to do it alone. Because her mother had disappeared seemingly off the face of the Earth. He got dressed and walked out of his room. He found Gibbs sitting at the kitchen table reading the news paper.

"Where did you get that? We haven't got the news paper in two years." Jimmy asked.

"Ran down to the store and grabbed one." Gibbs replied.

"Could have told me you wanted one I would have grabbed it." Jimmy replied.

"Didn't want to trouble you. Besides the fact I needed some real coffee." Gibbs replied.

"Breena just bought coffee." Jimmy replied

"Do I look like somebody who would drink blueberry coffee?" Gibbs asked.

"No but if you need anything else let me know. You are the guest." Jimmy replied.

"Yeah and your kid is sick and your wife is well AWOL." Gibbs explained.

"Fair point but still if you need anything else just let me know." Jimmy replied.

"Thanks kid, so what's on the schedule for you today?" Gibbs asked.

"Taking Lizzie to chemo and then probably just hanging out around the house." Jimmy explained.

"You want me to come with you for moral support?" Gibbs asked.

"Don't you have better things to do?" Jimmy asked.

"Not since I left NCIS and besides I need to see Tony anyway. I will follow in my truck so if I decided to stay a while and you need to get Lizzie home." Gibbs replied.

"Thanks Gibbs" Jimmy replied.

"It's no trouble really kid, have you heard anything on Breena?" Gibbs asked.

"No and her phone goes straight to voice-mail." Jimmy replied defeated.

"At least you are trying to get in touch with her." Gibbs assured.

* * *

Due to limited space the hospital only allowed immediate family into the chemo room. Unless it was under special circumstances. So Gibbs decided to take an opportunity to go and visit Tony. He knew that Ziva was staying with him but he also knew that something had happened the night before. Something bad, that had sent Ziver crying into the arms of McGee. Gibbs rode the elevator up to the oncology ward. He walked the way too familiar walk to Tony's room. He opened the door and stepped inside. His heart dropped when he saw Tony's limp form lying on the bed. He knew that most cancer patients lost their hair but he was praying it wouldn't happen to Tony. He had just seen Tony the day before. Right before he went with Jimmy to the talk with Breena and he had a full head of hair then. Now he was completely bald.

"Tony?" Gibbs called.

"Great another visitor to the freak show." Tony scoffed.

"Tony you are not a freak, you are sick." Gibbs reminded.

"Yeah well I am still bald, I have these sores on my mouth and I haven't been able to keep anything down in a week. To top it off Ziva is repulsed by me." Tony explained.

"What makes you think that?" Gibbs asked.

"She thought I was asleep last night and she was playing with my hair and well the first chunk came out. She took one look at me and ran out." Tony explained.

"Tony, I am sure there are two sides to this." Gibbs replied.

"I am ugly and the only woman I ever loved hates me." Tony replied.

"No she doesn't Tony. Everything that has happened to you the past few weeks it's a lot to take in. She is probably just scared." Gibbs assured.

"Right" Tony replied dejectedly.

* * *

After bringing Lizzie home from chemo. Jimmy camped his daughter out on the couch. With, her blanket and pillow, a couple of her favorite toys and the netflix cued up to her favorite cartoon. He set a bucket beside the couch but was expecting to have to wash everything later on. Gibbs had stayed at the hospital with Tony but was going to come back. As soon as McGee got off and could sit with Tony for a while. Jimmy stayed with Lizzie and helped her when she got sick and comforted her after she had finished. He was glad that she didn't bring up her mommy. Jimmy wished that he could make Breena come back but he couldn't. Gibbs got home around five carrying and armload of grocery bags. Jimmy jumped up and ran over to help him.

"Thanks kid" Gibbs replied as Jimmy took some of the bags.

"I told you not to worry about anything." Jimmy replied.

"Yeah well you have nothing in your cabinet or fridge and I know it's hard to take Lizzie out of the house." Gibbs explained.

cabinet

"I know I should have..." Jimmy started.

"Don't kid, it's OK." Gibbs interrupted before being interrupted himself by Jimmy's phone ringing.

"It's Breena's brother." Jimmy replied looking at his phone.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Yes?"

"Uh huh"

"Yeah she left last night."

"OK"

"I think just everything with Lizzie."

"Does she want to talk?"

"No I understand."

"OK well call me in the morning."

"No most hospitals take our insurance but you could take her to the nearest Navy hospital if you are worried."

"Well thanks again, EJ."

* * *

"What's up?" Gibbs asked after Jimmy hung up.

"That was Ed Junior. Breena showed up to his house in Florida an hour ago. She was hysterical and incoherent. They are going to let her sleep tonight and then taking her to the hospital tomorrow. For counseling." Jimmy explained.

* * *

**A/N: Finally some news on Breena. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	23. Crisis

Even knowing that Breena was safe. Jimmy did not get any better rest the second night his wife was gone. He was relieved to know that she was with Ed Junior and that they were going to take her to the hospital the next morning but still he was worried. What if she didn't get better? What if she did get better but she still thought her life would be better without Jimmy. He already felt like he was drowning with Lizzie's illness. All the drama with Breena in the past week made him feel like somebody was holding his head under the water rather than helping him out. Gibbs was his saving grace. Gibbs was the one shoving the person who was drowning him out of the way and pulling him out of the water. Of course Jimmy was still drowning but he had help now. He did have a fairly strong feeling of guilt. Gibbs was already having enough problems with Tony's illness and Ziva needed his help too. Still the former Marine had the sixes of everybody who needed him. Jimmy had shoved Abby, McGee, and Bishop away. He knew that they cared for him and he needed the help but after the way they had treated Tony. He couldn't in good conscience accept help from them. He was getting enough help from Gibbs and Ziva. He was surprised that Tony hadn't stepped up to help with Lizzie. That was the man Tony was. He wanted to help everybody and put himself aside. Even when he was suffering himself. The cancer must really be kicking Tony's ass. If he wasn't at least calling to check in with Lizzie every day. Actually Jimmy was pretty worried about Tony. The last time he had talked to him. Was the night Tony fell asleep while talking to him. He knew that Tony hated himself for falling asleep during that conversation. He felt terrible for not talking to Tony since then. Because he was sure that Tony thought he was angry with him for what happened. He didn't blame Tony in fact he felt terrible for his friend and that conversation. Was what made Jimmy realize just how sick Tony really was. Tony had always been so strong. Even when he had the plague and now he could barely move. It was killing Jimmy to think about. Even worse he would look at Lizzie and worry that she would end up as sick as Tony after a session or two. Jimmy knew that it was late but suddenly he had to talk to Tony. According to Gibbs, Tony had, had a very bad and emotional day. So Jimmy wasn't expecting him to pick up. Even if he waited and called in the morning. So he decided just to risk it and call his friend.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tony it's me Jimmy."

"It's four in the morning, Autopsy Gremlin."

"I know I just had to talk to you."

"Did something happen to Lizzie?! Gibbs was at the hospital today."

"No she's fine the issue is with Breena."

"God is she sick? Did she lose the baby?"

"No she and I got in a fight and she left. She kicked me out and then Gibbs tried to get us to talk and she ended up leaving."

"Why would she do that?"

"She is having severe problems with Lizzie's illness. The good news is she is safe and her family is going to take her to the hospital in the morning."

"God, Palmer I am so sorry."

"Thanks but enough about me. How are you?"

"My hair fell out and I feel so crappy that I want to go back in time and shoot Gibbs before he ordered me not to die the first time."

"Tony if you don't want to fight it. You don't have to."

"No I am not really ready yet."

"OK but don't be afraid to not follow Gibbs's orders."

"Easy for you to say."

* * *

Jimmy's conversation with Tony did not have the impact he was hoping for. In fact it left him feeling even more emotionally drained than he did before. He fell back on to his bed. Tears were falling from his eyes. He didn't understand why everything was so bad. He hated how weak Tony sounded. It seemed like every breath was impossible for him. Jimmy had to keep reminding himself that Tony had only been sick a few weeks. Because sometimes it felt more like he had been suffering for years. Of course his battle with the plague. Meant that even little colds could knock Tony on his ass. Hell the sniffles could kill him and now he had a disease that was known as a cruel killer. Jimmy hated to admit it but he knew that his friend was screwed.

"JIMMY! GET IN HERE! NOW!" Gibbs yelled at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Jimmy put on his glasses and ran across the hall to Lizzie's room. He flipped on the light and saw Gibbs standing over, his daughter's bed. His blue eyes wide with fear and it looked like he was shaking. He knew right away that whatever it was. It must be bad. If it was scaring Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He walked closer to Lizzie and Gibbs.

"What's wrong?" Jimmy asked.

"I...I was coming back from the bathroom and she called to me asking for a glass of water. I brought it but something seemed off. I put my hand on her forehead and she was burning up." Gibbs explained.

"This is bad. We have to get her to the hospital now." Jimmy replied.

"I'll drive, you go get changed. We leave in five minutes." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Jimmy ran back across the hall to his room and quickly tossed on some clothes and his sneakers. He tied his shoes and then slowly raised himself up. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He hadn't looked in the mirror in so long. Suddenly it looked like he had aged ten or twenty years in two weeks. Hell he had probably aged a lot in five minutes. He knew that fevers were risky to cancer patients and common but he didn't think it could happen to Lizzie. She had been doing so well. Now all of the sudden she was burning up. What if she had developed a severe complication? What if she died? Why couldn't it be him? He had said that he didn't want the doctors to use any extreme measures on Lizzie but the idea of that decision meaning anything scared the shit out him. He wished that Breena could see how afraid he was. Then maybe she would believe that he wasn't some psycho that wanted to kill his daughter. No scratch that. He was relieved that Breena was not around for this. If she saw Lizzie running a fever. It may just kill her.

"Please be OK, Lizzie. I may have lost your mom. I can't lose you too." Jimmy pleaded.

* * *

**A/N: Will Lizzie be OK? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	24. Panic

Jimmy held onto Lizzie as Gibbs sped towards the hospital. It was too much like the trip to the hospital the day that Lizzie was diagnosed. Except he was the one speeding to the hospital and it was Breena riding in the backseat with Lizzie. He was scared to death at the prospect of whatever was wrong with Lizzie. As irrational as it sounded. He was convinced that he would get to the hospital and the doctors would find that Lizzie's fever was a marker for another more deadly form of cancer or some other horrific disease. Maybe it wasn't as irrational as it sounded in his head but he was still scared to death of what the news would be. He caught Gibbs's face in the mirror and was shocked to find that even he looked scared to death. In the eleven years that he had known Gibbs. He had never seen that man show fear. Even when Tony had the plague. He had kept his fears hidden. Gibbs pulled into the hospital parking lot and let Jimmy out by the emergency room entrance. Before taking the car to find a parking space. Jimmy tightened his grip on Lizzie and ran inside.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"My daughter has cancer and she is running a high fever." Jimmy explained.

"OK take this and fill it out. A doctor will be with you shortly." The receptionist replied.

Jimmy shifted Lizzie to one arm and grabbed the clipboard with the other. He walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. He was just starting to fill out the forms, when Gibbs came in and sat down beside him.

"They really making you fill out a form before you can see a doctor? This is very serious." Gibbs asked.

"A doctor is coming but they are going to have to call her oncologist." Jimmy explained.

"OK" Gibbs replied.

* * *

A few minutes later a doctor came and took Lizzie away for tests. Leaving a terrified Jimmy behind with Gibbs. The older man took the younger mans hand into his own. Gibbs's presence helped Jimmy relax a little but his heart still felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. He could not imagine how distressed he would be if Breena were with him falling apart. He loved his wife but finding Lizzie feverish and having to admit her to the hospital. May be the thing that sent Breena over the edge. If she hadn't already gone over that is.

"How you holding up kid?" Gibbs asked.

"How do you think?" Jimmy asked.

"Stupid question" Gibbs remarked.

"Should I call, Breena?" Jimmy asked.

"Well normally I am against keeping stuff from spouses but based on the state she was in the last time I saw her and the way her family described her being. I would say it would be best if she didn't find out about this." Gibbs explained.

"What if Lizzie...?" Jimmy asked.

"Well of course you would have to tell her then but same as with this. We need to wait until after she is out of the hospital. We don't want to send her over the edge." Gibbs explained.

"That's what I am afraid of." Jimmy replied.

"Is there anybody I can call for you? Would you like me to summon the team?" Gibbs asked.

"Ed needs to know and he can tell Cecelia and EJ." Jimmy replied.

"OK do you want me to call him?" Gibbs asked.

"No I better do that." Jimmy sighed.

"You need support kid. Do you need me to call the team?" Gibbs asked.

"No" Jimmy replied.

"Why not? Did something happen?" Gibbs asked.

"I cannot count on those people for support. If they are going to treat Tony the way they did. The way they are. Just because of something that he said. I mean who's to stop them from turning on Lizzie if I do something wrong?" Jimmy explained.

"Do they know that he is sick?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes but only McGee believes it. I guess you can call him but I don't want Abby and Bishop to find out. I don't respect them anymore." Jimmy explained.

"Is it OK if I call Ziver too?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes you should tell Ducky too. I trust and respect him." Jimmy replied.

"OK" Gibbs relied.

* * *

Jimmy decided to step outside of the hospital before calling Ed. Even though the relationship between his father in law and him had warmed over the years. They still were far from being buddies. Ed still saw Jimmy as the guy who stole his baby girl away and Jimmy still felt that he was disrespected for not quitting NCIS to work at Ed's mortuary. Besides the fact that Ed seemed to blame Jimmy for Lizzie's illness. Jimmy's hands shook as he stood on the ramp outside the hospital and dialed Ed's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ed it's Jimmy."

"What's going on Jimmy?"

"Lizzie is in the hospital."

"What?! Why?! What did you do to her?! Let me talk to Breena!"

"Here's the thing. Breena left."

"Where did she go?"

"She freaked out and ran off to Florida."

"What did you do to my girls?!"

"Nothing I..."

"Save it!"

"Ed I am sorry."

"I said save it!"

"Ed please here me out."

"No! I know that you did this! You hurt my family! You psychotic little bastard!"

"Why?! Why would I hurt my family?!"

"I don't know! But you are clearly crazy!"

"I am not crazy you are being crazy!"

"Shut up you piece of shit! I know that you want them dead! I am finding Breena and then you will never see her or Lizzie again!"

"I didn't want any of this to happen. I didn't want any of this to happen."

* * *

**A/N: More about Lizzie in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	25. Late

Jimmy sat on the cool, dew dampened parking lot. He had dropped his phone beside him but Ed had still screamed at him for another five minutes. He felt completely lost. He was just as devastated by Lizzie's diagnosis as Breena's family but they seemed to think he was some heartless monster. He dreaded Ed finding out about his decision not to revive Lizzie if it came down to it. He rocked back and forth on the ground, unable to move or breathe. Jimmy heard footsteps and managed to move his head enough to see that Gibbs was standing over him.

"You OK, kid?" Gibbs asked.

"N...No" Jimmy admitted.

"What's wrong?" Gibbs asked.

"Ed thinks it's my fault Lizzie has a fever. He says I should have stopped it." Jimmy explained.

"How the hell could you have prevented her from getting a fever?" Gibbs questioned.

"Because I am a doctor." Jimmy replied.

"Seriously?" Gibbs asked.

"He says I am not a real doctor." Jimmy added.

"By his logic, I am not a real Marine because I couldn't prevent Shannon and Kelly from getting murdered." Gibbs hissed.

"Isn't that what Joanne thought?" Jimmy asked referring to Shannon's mom.

"She didn't say it like that but pretty much." Gibbs replied

"So you will be able to tell me what to do?" Jimmy asked.

"Realize that Ed is hurting too and don't let him get to you." Gibbs replied.

"Will he come around in time?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know but if he gives you anymore trouble let me know and I will deal with him." Gibbs replied.

"But you said not to let him get to me." Jimmy commented.

"Yeah because as long as Lizzie is involved he is still your family and it would hurt her too much if everybody hated each-other and if God forbid Lizzie doesn't beat this it will disgrace her family. I however don't have any ties to this battle." Gibbs explained.

"It feels good to have somebody stand up for me." Jimmy replied.

"It's my job, kid." Gibbs replied.

"Well still, thanks." Jimmy replied.

"We should head back in, the doctor is probably back to tell you about Lizzie." Gibbs said helping Jimmy stand.

* * *

Jimmy walked with Gibbs back into the hospital. He felt so much better after his talk with the older man. It was good to know that he had at least one ally in this war. Gibbs was the last person he ever expected to be on his side. Gibbs was friends with Ducky and he saw Abby and his team as his children, even Vance and him were bonded by a common tragedy but Jimmy was just Ducky's nerdy assistant. Gibbs had been there when he was scared to death after Breena found out she was pregnant so early in their relationship but that was hardly friendship or a sign of caring. It was just being told that fear was normal. Even for people who had planned a baby. He also reminded Jimmy that if he abandoned Breena now, he was a jackass. Now Gibbs was all he had the most terrifying battle of his life.

"James Palmer?" Dr. Brown called.

"Yes" Jimmy replied.

"The good news is that Lizzie's fever is the result of a minor ear infection. The bad news is because of her cancer any other illness is very serious. So far she is hanging on just fine. Her fever even went down a little bit. We are going to keep her here until it breaks." Dr. Brown explained.

"So she is going to be OK?" Gibbs asked.

"More than likely." Dr. Brown replied.

"When can I see her?" Jimmy asked.

"Tomorrow morning" Dr. Brown replied.

* * *

Tony woke up in a cold sweat. He felt like crap but that was normal for him now. At this time of night the thing he hated most about the hospital were visiting hours. Gibbs had been busy with Jimmy the past few days. Apparently some bad things were happening within the Palmer family but Ziva still came everyday and spent most of her time with him. McGee came when he could. Much to his surprise Vance had even been by a few times. As for the others Abby, Bishop, and Ducky hadn't even called him. He suspected that nobody had gotten around to telling Ducky yet but he knew that Abby and Bishop knew. Because McGee, Ziva, Gibbs, and even Vance had asked him if they had been by. He didn't know Bishop that well and they weren't exactly close but he had considered Abby to be one of his best friends. He didn't know how Bishop was when somebody was in the hospital but Abby was usually in full Abby mode. Visiting everyday with treats and presents, bringing her happiness and love to whoever was sick, and making sure the sick person was on the prayer list on not only the church she attended but also every church that she was considered to be friends with. It was obvious that they still saw him as a monster for not helping Lizzie. Again he knew that they knew he was sick but based on when McGee and Vance said they did not believe it. They thought he was just faking.

"Can't you see I care?! Anyone else you would have caught on and forgiven! What did I do? I care! I really do! Why the hell would I fake this?!" Tony yelled into the darkness.

* * *

Ziva bolted up in bed. She had been having the most wonderful dream. That Tony wasn't really sick, that it was all a huge mistake, he was just fine, and once he recovered from the chemo. They went to a beautiful villa in Italy. Right on the water and Tony found relatives still living there who really cared for him. They would cook lovely meals for them every-night and spoiled Tony the way he should have been when he was little. The best part of the dream was the tiny little boy with olive skin, curly hair, big green eyes, and the biggest smile she had ever seen. All of it ended because a wave of nausea swept over her. She ran to the bathroom and wretched. She must have fallen back asleep because the next thing she knew somebody was shaking her awake.

"Ziva? Are you alright?" McGee asked.

"What? Oh yeah I am fine, McGee." Ziva replied.

"Then why are you in the bathroom and why is their puke in the toilet?" McGee asked.

"I was a little sick this morning." Ziva replied.

"Oh well then you don't need to go see Tony today." McGee replied.

"I guess you are right. At least you and Gibbs will be with him. Maybe Jimmy too." Ziva replied.

"Well Gibbs will visit him but Lizzie has an ear infection and is in the hospital." McGee explained.

"Oh no poor Lizzie!" Ziva gasped.

"Don't worry she is going to be OK." McGee assured.

"Good but why can't you go see him?" Ziva asked.

"Well I guess I can but it's going to have to be later on because I have to take Delilah somewhere. Since she is four months today. I can tell you that she is pregnant." McGee replied.

"Congratulations!" Ziva cried.

"Thanks we are both super excited." McGee replied.

"I think I am going to go back to bed." Ziva yawned.

"Good idea, are you sure that you are OK?" McGee asked.

"I am fine." Ziva assured.

"OK well if you need anything just call me. Since you seem to be OK. I am going to meet with Delilah. I am already late." McGee explained.

"I am late!" Ziva cried.

"Ziva you are sick. Whatever you are late for it can be post-poned." McGee assured.

"No, McGee I am late!" Ziva cried.

* * *

**A/N: Lizzie is going to be OK! What about Ziva? Is she just late or is she pregnant? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	26. Reality

After spending fifty-three hours in the hospital, Lizzie was discharged early Sunday morning. Her fever had hung on longer than expected but she didn't have any further complications. Jimmy spent as much time as he could with his daughter. Doing as much as he could to make it up to her that her mommy was not around to take care of her. Gibbs visited her once a day but he spent most of his time with Tony who was still in a bad place. Sunday morning Jimmy got his and Lizzie's things packed and signed the discharge papers. When Lizzie woke up she was free to go home.

"Good morning Lizzie. Are you ready to go home?" Jimmy asked.

"I get to go home?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes" Jimmy replied.

"Will mommy be there?" Lizzie asked.

"No mommy is sick and has to be away from us for a few more days." Jimmy explained.

"Can we see her?" Lizzie asked.

"Soon" Jimmy replied.

* * *

Lizzie was back asleep by the time Jimmy and Gibbs got back to the Palmer's house. Gibbs carried the suitcase and went to unlock the door. While Jimmy carried Lizzie in draped over his shoulders. Her blonde hair fell on to his face. So far she hadn't lost her hair. So maybe she would be one of the lucky cancer patients who didn't lose their hair. She was too young to really be self conscious about her hair falling out and it didn't really matter to Jimmy. Especially after the events of the past weekend. After sitting in a hospital waiting room wondering if he was going to lose her. Nothing else seemed to matter. He was even relatively calm about the problems he was having with Breena and Ed.

"You put her to bed. I will make us some lunch." Gibbs called.

"Thanks" Jimmy replied.

"Any requests?" Gibbs asked.

"Whatever you feel like for us and chicken and stars for Lizzie." Jimmy replied.

"Cheese and tomato sandwiches good for you?" Gibbs asked.

"Sure" Jimmy replied.

* * *

Gibbs sprinkled some cheese over the tomatoes and bread. He was grateful to be able to help Jimmy in his time of need. So many people had stepped up to help him after Shannon and Kelly died but he was in such a fog of grief he had pushed everybody away. He was glad that Jimmy was at least able to let people in because Breena was clearly shutting out the world. He was worried for her. He had only met her a couple of times but she had always seemed so put together. Meanwhile Jimmy was always so nervous and awkward of course a child being deathly ill would throw anyone through a loop. Still he was shocked that Breena was the one to fall apart.

"Lunch almost ready?" Jimmy asked.

"About two minutes if you want it hot, thirty seconds if you don't mind cold." Gibbs replied.

"I can wait for warm." Jimmy replied.

"Lizzie's soup should be ready by now." Gibbs replied.

"OK I guess I will go feed her while I wait." Jimmy replied.

"Think she can handle some crackers too?" Gibbs asked.

"That would be great." Jimmy replied.

* * *

Ziva was nervous to say the least. She was now officially three days late to get her period. She knew that a lot of woman had inconsistencies but hers always came on the thirteenth or fourteenth at latest the fifteenth and today was the sixteenth. Maybe she was just late or maybe not. Maybe she had started menopause early or not? The only other option was pregnancy. She had always thought that she would enjoy having a family. Of course when she imagined having a family. She pictured herself as being married and that their child would not be conceived in a hospital room. While the child's father was battling cancer. A disease that was more likely than not going to kill him before their child was even born.

* * *

Tony rolled over in bed. McGee was with him again today. Gibbs had been around most of yesterday but Lizzie Palmer had been released that morning and Gibbs was helping Jimmy settle back into the regular routine. He wondered why Ducky wasn't helping with Lizzie or hadn't come to visit him but it wasn't really any of his business. Still he was pretty lonely. Gibbs, Jimmy, Ziva, and McGee all came regularly and Dr. Pitt and Director Vance came when they could but he missed the rest of his family. He wished that he could be surprised that Senior hadn't as much as called since he had been diagnosed but that was what he expected of his "dad". He hadn't told Senior about his cancer but he was almost positive that Gibbs had called the older DiNozzo. The only that shocked him was that Gibbs had not strangled Senior and buried him underneath his basement. Maybe the Marine was getting mellow in his old age. Tony could practically feel the head-slap even though Gibbs was miles away. The slap was just the beginning of a severe wave of pain.

"Ohhh shit!" Tony moaned.

"Are you OK, Tony?" McGee asked.

"Does feeling like you've been hit by a semi truck seem OK?" Tony asked.

"No, do you want me to get you a doctor? Maybe you need more morphine?" McGee asked.

"If they give me any more morphine I am going to be basically in a coma." Tony replied.

"Well maybe that would be good?" McGee offered.

"It would but I want to be at least semi conscious just in case." Tony explained.

"Just in case what?" McGee asked.

"I case I die, Probie." Tony explained.

"You're dying?" McGee asked.

"Probably." Tony replied.

"Oh, uh I just remembered I promised to go over and check out a problem with Kayla Vance's laptop. I better get going." McGee replied jumping up and leaving the room.

* * *

**A/N: Poor McGee, it's really hitting him that Tony is sick. Is Ziva pregnant or just late? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	27. Time To Face The Future

Lizzie was still doing well Monday morning so Jimmy had to take her in for chemo. Gibbs had to take care of something at NCIS. So it would be his first time taking Lizzie alone. He was scared to death to do so but in his absence Ducky was the only Medical Examiner at NCIS. He still had no desire to interact with Abby and Bishop. He had tried to contact McGee and Ziva but they were both acting strangely.

"You sure you can handle this on your own?" Gibbs asked.

"Not really but I am going to be on my own for a while. So I kind of have to get used to it." Jimmy explained.

"Have you gotten any updates on Breena?" Gibbs asked.

"She is at a hospital in Miami getting treatment." Jimmy replied.

"Can you call her?" Gibbs asked.

"She will contact me when she is ready. If she ever gets ready." Jimmy explained.

"She is getting the help she needs and she will come around in time." Gibbs offered.

"You sound like EJ and the guy I spoke to at the hospital." Jimmy sighed.

"Well it is true and she will." Gibbs assured.

"I hope so because I want us to be a family again." Jimmy replied.

"You will because underneath all that grief. She loves you and Lizzie and people come around for the ones they love. As long as they get the help and support they need." Gibbs explained.

"Your a wise man, Gibbs." Jimmy replied.

"Ducky told that to me after I got blown up a few years ago and got my brain all scrambled up. I got better and Breena will too." Gibbs explained.

* * *

His conversation with Jimmy had forced Gibbs to relive his first retirement. As he sped towards NCIS to finalize his second one. Unlike the first retirement though this one would be permanent. Tony needed him more than NCIS did right now. If Tony lived he would be too vulnerable to go back into the field and if Tony did manage to survive. God only knows that state the disease, would leave his already plague ravaged body in. He was too old and beat up for field work anyway. He walked through NCIS security. God it was weird to have to sign in as a guest and wait for an agent to come down and escort him up to Vance's office. Some Probie he didn't know came downstairs and escorted him upstairs. Vance was on the phone with the SecNav. So Gibbs had to spend sometime waiting in the bullpen. Even though he had only been gone a few weeks. The place looked so different both his and Tony's desks had been cleared. Strange stuff was on his and Bishop's desks. McGee was now SFA and had moved his belongings to Tony's desk and Bishop had moved up to McGee's desk. He wondered about the new lead agent and the new Probie and had hoped to meet him but they were gone. McGee was gone too. Bishop was the only agent in the bullpen. Abby was sitting at Bishop's former desk talking to her about something. Gibbs was glad that they didn't appear to be busy or discussing anything of importance. Because he he had been going crazy to talk to his girls again. Surely they had come around but Jimmy was unaware as he was focusing most of his time on Lizzie. He refused to believe that anybody in his family could be so cruel to another member of the family.

"Abby? Bishop?" Gibbs called.

"Gibbs?" Bishop asked.

"GIBBS! GIBBS! GIBBS!" Abby cried.

"It's really me." Gibbs replied.

"Oh Gibbs I have missed you so much!" Abby cried embracing him.

"I've missed you too Abbs." Gibbs replied.

"Well you could be seeing me everyday but you were stupid enough to quit because of Tony! Why did you listen to that liar, Gibbs?!" Abby cried.

"Abby he isn't lying." Gibbs replied.

"Yes he is! Why do you think we haven't seen him?!" Abby cried.

"Because he is in the hospital!" Gibbs snapped.

"No! He is just hiding somewhere! So that we will all feel sorry for him and not hate him for being so mean to Lizzie!" Abby snapped.

"Yeah! He is an ass and I hope he dies!" Bishop snapped.

"Does this look fake?! Huh?! Does this look like somebody faking cancer for attention?! Does it look like he cares about getting us to feel sorry for him?!" Gibbs demanded showing Abby and Bishop the picture of Tony he had on his phone.

"Oh God, Oh Tony. I am so sorry." Abby sobbed.

"It's OK, Abbs you are forgiven." Gibbs assured.

"I am sorry. I am sorry." Abby sobbed.

* * *

Ziva could not avoid it anymore, she was now three days late. She had called her doctor that morning and she had told her to take a home pregnancy test. If that came up positive and even if it came up negative and she was in doubt. To come in and get a blood test. Still she was only a week or two along and tests could be inconclusive. She ran to the drug store and took three different types of pregnancy tests. She locked herself in the guest bathroom at Gibbs's house and took two of each test. All six were positive. She didn't even really need to go in for a blood test but she still wanted too just in case she wasn't pregnant but did have some weird health problem. Maybe she was sick and dying too. Maybe Tony and her could be together forever after all. No that wasn't it. That was too much like the plot to a bad romance movie. She was more likely pregnant than not. Which meant that she needed to get to the doctors and get checked out fast. She had no idea what to do. She didn't want to be alone in all of this. She wanted somebody to go with her for the test but who? Gibbs was taking care of Tony and Jimmy, she didn't know Bishop, and McGee and Abby were acting odd. That left Ducky. At least he would be able to explain medical terms to her. She took out her phone and dialed the old doctors number.

"Hello?"

"Ducky it's me, Ziva."

"Ziva! It's been so long! How are you?!"

"OK I guess."

"Well to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I know this is a lot to ask since I haven't spoken to you in so long but I think that I may be pregnant and want you to come with me for the test."

"I am honored, Ziva but I am afraid that I cannot justify flying to Israel to escort somebody to a pregnancy test."

"No Ducky I am here in DC."

"You are? And you asked me to come with you?"

"Yes"

"What about the father or Jethro? Certainly one of them would like to come with you."

"No they won't."

"How do you know that?"

"The father is Tony and neither him nor Gibbs can come. Because Tony has cancer and Gibbs has to take care of him."

"An...Anthony has cancer?"

"Yes, you didn't know?"

"No...No not Anthony too. No..." *Thud*

"Ducky?! Are you OK?! DUCKY?!"

* * *

**A/N: The good news is Abby finally came around. Will Ducky be OK? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	28. Heart Attack

Ziva heard the hard thud on the other end of the phone and instantly began to panic. She remembered Ducky's heart attack three years earlier. He had come so close to dying that day and even after he pulled through it was unknown just how much damage had been done. The doctors had first told him that he would most likely be forced into retirement. He had proved everybody wrong and been able to come back to NCIS a two months earlier than expected. What if he didn't get so lucky this time? What if he was sick and forced into a retirement home? What if he died? Ziva knew that she had to move quickly. She hung up and dialed 911.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"I was just talking to my friend on the phone and I think that he had a heart attack."

"OK and what is your friend's name and address?"

"Donald Mallard and his address 2835 Jefferson Drive."

"We will send somebody to check it out."

"Thank you"

* * *

Jimmy sat in the chair of his daughter's room. Gibbs had gone from NCIS to go and see Tony. Jimmy was glad that Gibbs had gone to be with Tony. As lost and frustrated as he was without Breena. Tony needed the help even more than he did. Overall Lizzie had, had a pretty good day. She hadn't gotten sick and she actually had a little bit of energy. Jimmy could not wait until this ordeal was over and he had his little girl back. She was fighting hard and would be back to normal before anybody knew it. Breena on the other hand was in a very bad place and it was too soon to tell if she would ever recover and come back to the family.

"Daddy?" Lizzie asked.

"What is it baby girl?" Jimmy asked.

"Where's Gibbs?" Lizzie asked.

"He is going to see Tony." Jimmy replied.

"Can I go see Tony?" Lizzie asked.

"Not today sweetie." Jimmy replied.

"Hey daddy your phone is ringing." Lizzie commented.

"Yes it is." Jimmy replied withdrawing his phone from his pocket.

"Hello?"

"Is this James Palmer?"

"Yes"

"I am Martha King from Bethesda. Are you the emergency contact for a Donald Mallard?"

"Yes I am, why?"

"Mr. Mallard was brought in with symptoms of a heart attack."

"Is he OK?"

"It's a little soon to be able to tell."

"Uh I am home with my daughter. She is four and has leukemia."

"I am sorry to hear that. Are you going to be able to get a sitter?"

"I don't know."

"OK there is a Leroy Jethro Gibbs also listed and he also has medical power of attorney. Would he be able to get down here?"

"Gibbs is actually at Bethesda right now visiting with another patient."

"And what is that patient's name?"

"Anthony DiNozzo Junior"

"OK, thank you very much."

"Your welcome and goodbye."

* * *

Jimmy hung up the phone and ran his hand through his hair. Just when things were starting to calm down a bit. This had happened. Ducky may have had another heart attack. What if he died? They were probably going to lose Tony. They couldn't lose Ducky too.

"What's wrong, daddy?" Lizzie asked.

"Grandpa Ducky is really sick in the hospital." Jimmy explained.

"Does he have cancer too?" Lizzie asked.

"No he is having trouble with his heart again." Jimmy explained.

"Will he be OK?" Lizzie asked.

"I hope so." Jimmy sighed.

"I don't like that everybody is sick." Lizzie said.

"I don't like it either." Jimmy agreed.

* * *

Gibbs tried not to show any fear in front of Tony. On top of all the hell that the team had been going through. Now Ducky may have had another heart attack. He left his son's room and walked towards the elevator. Cardiology was on the eighth floor. He prayed that his friend would get better and soon. He couldn't handle much of this drama. He got to the eighth floor and went to Ducky's room.

"I am telling you that I am fine!" Ducky snapped.

"I am sorry Dr. Mallard but you have to stay here until the tests are complete." A nurse argued.

"I have had a heart attack before! I know what it's like and this is nothing like how I felt!" Ducky snapped.

"You had chest pain and collapsed. We have to keep you here until you are cleared to go." The nurse reasoned.

"Listen to what they say, Duck." Gibbs instructed.

"Jethro! How many times have I covered for you in the hospital?" Ducky questioned.

"Never when I am waiting for results." Gibbs reminded.

"I can tell you that his is nothing!" Ducky snapped.

"I am afraid that is not the case, Dr. Mallard." A doctor said entering the room.

"What's wrong with him? I am Jethro Gibbs and I am one of his emergency contacts. I am also a medical proxy." Gibbs explained.

"I am Dr. Titus and Nurse Rosa is right. You did in fact suffer a mild heart attack Dr. Mallard." Dr. Titus explained.

"See" Gibbs commented.

"Yes but I am fine now! Let me go!" Ducky pleaded.

"I am afraid that you will be here at least five days." Dr. Titus replied.

"Five days for a minor heart attack?" Ducky questioned.

"Yes but that would be a very good amount of time considering your previous heart attack." Dr. Titus explained.

"Very well but I am out of here in five days." Ducky argued.

"OK then" Dr. Titus replied.

"May I have some time alone with my friend?" Ducky asked.

"I suppose so." Dr. Titus replied.

"I am glad that you are going to be OK, Duck." Gibbs said.

"I am too." Ducky replied.

"What caused this heart attack? Do you know?" Gibbs asked.

"Just like last time I got some bad news." Ducky replied.

"What bad news?" Gibbs asked.

"Why didn't you tell me that Anthony had cancer?" Ducky asked.

"God Duck, I am so sorry. I was just so tired and everybody was so rude. I just forgot." Gibbs apologized.

"Jethro that does not sound like you. Are you alright?" Ducky asked.

"My boy is dying. How can I be?" Gibbs questioned.

* * *

**A/N: Good news Ducky is going to be OK. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	29. Family Changes

Around nine that night, Jimmy received a call from Gibbs informing him that Ducky was going to be just fine. At first Jimmy was mildly annoyed that it had taken so long for him to get the news. Especially since Gibbs had found out that Ducky was going to be OK hours ago. Until he remembered that Gibbs was balancing his time between Ducky and Tony's bedsides. Gibbs probably made the call as soon as he was kicked out of the room of whoever he was visiting. If he could get somebody to sit with Lizzie for a a couple of hours the next day, Jimmy would spend some time with both Ducky and Tony. Finding sitters would be tough because his NCIS family would be flocking to the hospital to be with their hospitalized loved ones and most of if not all of Breena's family hated him. Jimmy hated all the illness that was around him lately. Tony and Lizzie's cancer, Breena's breakdown, and now Ducky's heart-attack. At least he knew that Ducky would be OK. Doctors were extremely optimistic about Lizzie's prognosis but it was still to early for any definite answers. There was a lot more questions surrounding Breena and Tony's fates. Tony had seemingly given up and Breena had all but lost her grip on reality. Jimmy walked upstairs to his daughter's room and sat beside her on the bed.

"You and Ducky are going to be OK and then we are going to bring your mom and the new babies home and we will finally be a family." Jimmy vowed.

* * *

Jimmy's promise to his daughter caused him to think of the new Palmer babies that were due to enter the world soon. The son they were adopting from a single mom who felt she was not ready to raise a child, would be born in a matter of weeks. Where would he go if Jimmy and Breena were still broken up and Breena and Lizzie were both so sick? Then there was the baby growing in Breena's own stomach. Would he ever get to know that child? Would the baby even live long enough to be born? Breena was extremely ill and fragile. Pregnant woman in her emotional state miscarried often. Would she even remember to mention that she was pregnant at the hospital? What if she was given a drug that killed their baby? All Jimmy wanted right now was to have three healthy children and a healthy wife beside him. It was late and he had nobody he could call. He had to face this particular rough night all on his own.

"I wish that I was not alone, right now." Jimmy sighed.

* * *

Gibbs drove away from the hospital. He felt bad for leaving his friend and his son but he needed to get away. He needed to clear his head and forget the past few hours. Ducky was alive and going to make a complete recovery in no time but there still had been fear in his heart. He still had terrible thoughts and wondered how he would cope without his friend. The words he had spoken to Ducky about Tony were weighing heavily on his mind. _My boy is dying_, he wanted those words just to be an overreaction but Tony had been so sick and was only getting sicker with every passing day. Most of the team was on Tony's side now but he was still feeling the effects of their ill treatment. He still lacked trust and doubted even the people who cared most for him. It made Gibbs sick, Tony deserved love and support from the very beginning and all his "family" had done was label him as a monster. The day that he received the results that had shattered his whole life. Tony's biological "family" was somehow worse than his work family. Senior had not called his son and only called Tony a lying bastard. Gibbs wanted to beat that old bastard to death and if it weren't for how desperately Tony, Ziva, Jimmy, and now Ducky needed him he would have. Gibbs pulled into his own driveway and got out of the car. He found Ziva sitting on the porch waiting for him.

"You're up late Ziver." Gibbs commented.

"I did something stupid!" Ziva blurted out.

"Please tell me you didn't hurt Tony." Gibbs pleaded.

"No! Of course not!" Ziva cried.

"Then what's wrong?" Gibbs asked.

"Just after I got here, Tony and I were intimate and now I might be two weeks pregnant!" Ziva admitted.

"You had sex with Tony in the hospital?!" Gibbs questioned.

"Yes sir, I am sorry but it was the last day that he felt good." Ziva explained.

"Have you been to the doctor?" Gibbs asked.

"I have an appointment at five tomorrow." Ziva replied.

"I will go with you." Gibbs replied.

"Are you sure?" Ziva asked.

"I told Tony I would take care of you while he was sick." Gibbs replied.

"How do I tell him?" Ziva asked.

"The same way you would tell him if he weren't sick." Gibbs replied.

"What am I going to do if he doesn't get better?" Ziva asked.

"We will take care of you. Now come on you need to get some rest. You looked exhausted." Gibbs replied.

"I am too nervous to sleep." Ziva replied.

"I will make you some hot milk." Gibbs replied taking Ziva's hand and guiding her into his home.

* * *

Ziva the warm milk that Gibbs had prepared for her and then walked back to her room. She hoped that Gibbs was right and that her family would take care of her. If it weren't for her teammates' recent behavior she would have an easier time believing that she was cared for but if they hated Tony that much, imagine how they would feel about his child. Besides they would probably use the fact that he had been able to have sex, in the argument that he was faking his cancer.

* * *

**A/N: I think I am going to skip ahead for the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	30. Struggling

Ducky was released from the hospital after five days. He spent the first twenty-four hours in the ICU and the next four days in the Critical Care Unit. The doctors found only minor damage to his heart but still wanted to observe him. Due to this being his second heart attack and the risk of a more serious one being around the corner. He was instructed to take it easy and not return to work until his regular cardiologist approved him going back. The good news was that he didn't have to make any other major life style changes or have any further dietary restrictions. McGee would be staying with Ducky until he had recovered a bit more. Since Gibbs was caring for Ziva and Tony and Jimmy had his hands full being alone with Lizzie.

"You ready to go home?" McGee asked.

"I am but I don't think you need to be staying with me." Ducky replied.

"The doctor wants somebody to watch you until you recover a bit more." McGee reminded.

"I insist that I am fine." Ducky replied.

"That may be but Gibbs will kill me if I let you stay alone." McGee explained.

"Jethro doesn't have to know." Ducky argued.

"Gibbs always finds out." McGee countered.

Having his mentor out of the hospital was a huge weight off of Jimmy's shoulders. At least something had been taken off his plate. Breena couldn't talk to him and her brother had said that she even if she could talk, she wouldn't want to. Lizzie was still doing well with her chemo but she had, had a slightly rougher time after the last two sessions. The doctors assured him it was normal and that some sessions would be worse than others. All he wanted right now was somebody on his side. Ducky couldn't take any extra stress right now. Gibbs had been helping but he had been spending more time worrying about Ziva the past few days but wouldn't say why. Jimmy realized that made him sound selfish and entitled thinking that he deserved everybody to flock to his side and acting like he was the only one with problems. He had finally gotten Lizzie down for her nap after a rough chemo session and difficult afternoon. When so he heard a knock on the front door. He ran downstairs to answer the door. When he did he found Ed standing on the front step.

"Oh hi, Ed. How are you?" Jimmy greeted.

"Let's forget the pleasantries, James. This is not a social visit." Ed grunted.

"I don't understand. Did something happen to Breena?" Jimmy asked.

"Your damn right something happened to Breena. It is your fault that my daughter is locked up in a mental hospital instead of taking care of her sick daughter." Ed explained.

"Breena had a minor psychological break due to the stress of Lizzie's illness." Jimmy corrected.

"No you had her labeled as a loony, so that you could kill my granddaughter." Ed argued.

"What are you talking about?" Jimmy asked.

"I know about the DNR, James!" Ed snapped.

"That is only under the most dyer of circumstances." Jimmy argued.

"What about assisted suicide?" Ed demanded.

"Only if she were found to be terminal and suffering." Jimmy explained.

"Not a risk I am willing to take." Ed replied.

"I am her father? What can you do?" Jimmy demanded.

"This is Mark Jones, my lawyer." Ed replied, pointing to the man standing behind him.

"Lawyer?" Jimmy asked.

"I am suing you for custody of Lizzie." Ed replied.

Jimmy was taken aback. Breena had run off and Lord knows if she would ever willingly speak to him again and now Ed was threatening to sue him for custody of Lizzie. He didn't to put his sick daughter through a custody battle. He didn't want to put himself through a custody battle. Contentious custody battles always proved to be far longer and more drawn out than they needed to be. For a second Jimmy thought about calling Gibbs but he was probably taking care of Ziva. God, he hoped that Ziva wasn't sick too.

"What do you say, James?" Ed questioned.

"You realize this will hurt Lizzie more than it helps her." Jimmy replied.

"No you will hurt Lizzie more than you help her." Ed argued.

"Let's not do this here. Not around Lizzie." Jimmy pleaded.

"FINE! Lawyer up, you will be receiving a subpoena with the court-date." Ed replied.

"FINE!" Jimmy snapped slamming the door in Ed's face.

It was official and had been confirmed several days ago. Ziva really was pregnant. About two weeks along. Closer to three now but two weeks at the time of her appointment. It was too soon to really see anything on the ultrasound but the doctor had said that everything seemed healthy. She had decided to wait until she was six weeks along to tell Tony and twelve weeks before she broke the news to anybody else. It was too easy and too likely for something to go wrong in the first trimester. She didn't want to get everybody excited and than have to break the news that she had miscarried. She figured six weeks would be enough time to tell Tony and she had another doctors appointment then. Where they would hopefully do an ultrasound. After that she wouldn't get one until the gender reveal ultrasound and she didn't know when after that. Gibbs was being good to her. Protective and making sure that she took care of herself.

"How you feeling, Ziver?" Gibbs asked.

"Tired and sick" Ziva replied.

"Morning sickness?" Gibbs asked.

"It's not too bad but certainly unpleasant." Ziva replied.

"How is baby, DiNozzo doing?" Gibbs asked.

"I am doing well. So he is doing well." Ziva replied.

"He?" Gibbs asked.

"I am hoping that it is a boy and I pray that he looks like Tony and has more his personality because God only knows how much time I have left with him." Ziva replied.

**A/N: Poor Jimmy it just keeps getting worse for him. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	31. Nausea

Jimmy ran his hand through Lizzie's hair. She was having a particularly bad day. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and became violently ill after chemo. She had gotten so sick in fact, that the doctors had considered keeping her at the hospital for further observation. Thankfully she had stabilized at the last minute and was cleared to come home. He couldn't believe that Ed was trying to take her away from him. Bad enough he was already worrying about cancer taking her from him. Now he had to deal with the possibility of losing custody. Logically thinking he knew that Ed didn't have a leg to stand on. Jimmy had given Lizzie great care he kept up with her appointments, watched her for pain or complications, and made sure that she could maintain as normal of a childhood as possible. All on his own but still there was that voice in his head saying that Ed could win custody. He was sure that he had done something wrong. He had officially gotten the subpoena two days before. He was to appear in court in seven days. He would take Lizzie to chemo and then have to rush off to the courthouse. He could not believe that Ed had made the court date a day that Lizzie had chemo. Then again he was sure that it would be Ed's plan. With Lizzie weak and frail, it would be easy for Ed to claim that he was the superior father. He heard the doorbell ring, set Lizzie down on her bed, and walked downstairs. He made sure to check the peephole before opening the door. Just in cased Ed had come back to cause more pain. To his relief it was Ducky standing on the other side of the door. He opened the door and ushered his mentor inside.

"Are you sure you are up to being out?" Jimmy asked.

"The doctors just cleared me to drive and stay on my own. So long as somebody checks on me every twelve hours or so and I keep my life alert on hand." Ducky explained.

"You have a life alert?" Jimmy asked.

"Jethro gave me Jackson's. You know how he worries." Ducky explained.

"I do but it is a good thing to have. Especially since you have been alone both times." Jimmy replied.

"I suppose you are right. How is young Victoria feeling?" Ducky asked.

"Today has been hard on her. I gave her something for the nausea and she is upstairs sleeping." Jimmy explained.

"Poor dear." Ducky replied.

"I hate seeing her feel so bad but at least she is getting better or seems to be." Jimmy explained.

"How are things going with Edward?" Ducky asked.

"I got the subpoena two days ago. The court date is in a week." Jimmy replied.

"I am terribly sorry to hear that." Ducky replied.

"I got a lawyer as soon as Ed told me he was suing for custody. I meet with her on Tuesdays and Thursdays since Lizzie doesn't have chemo those days. The lawyer has offered to come in on Saturdays and Sundays if need be." Jimmy explained.

"I am glad to see that you are on top of things." Ducky replied.

"So am I. It is so stressful but McGee recommended the lawyer to me. They were friends in college when McGee was at John's Hopkins. She is brilliant and has a real passion for custody cases." Jimmy explained.

"What is her name?" Ducky asked.

"Alicia Tucker" Jimmy replied.

"I have heard of her. She is excellent." Ducky replied.

"I hope that she can help me. Ed has so much money and knows so many powerful people in the community." Jimmy sighed.

"She is going to help you. Edward may have power but you are a loving and devoted father. In a custody battle that will win every time." Ducky explained.

"I hope so." Jimmy agreed.

* * *

Gibbs handed Ziva a tray containing a sandwich, cup of soup, and glass of orange juice. She hadn't been feeling great that day but her nausea had subsided significantly since that morning. It hurt him that Tony wasn't around to dote on Ziva and watch her go through the pregnancy. Even worse people that didn't know would whisper that Tony was an uncaring father and that he should not be allowed to be called a man. Gibbs wanted to scream that Tony would want nothing more than to be involved but he was flat on his ass with cancer.

"Is it OK?" Gibbs asked as Ziva took her first bites.

"it's really good, thank you." Ziva replied.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" Gibbs asked.

"Can we go and see Tony later?" Ziva asked.

"Let me call the hospital and see how he is doing." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Tony buried himself under his blanket. McGee was with him today, for the first time since Ducky got out of the hospital. For the first time in days he had a visitor. Abby had a small cold and couldn't be around a cancer patient, Jimmy was alone with Lizzie, and Gibbs and Ziva. Well he had no idea what was going on with them. Maybe they were sick of him. He was getting pretty sick of himself. Lizzie was four and she was handling cancer far better than he was. He was a forty-one year old adult.

"Tony are you alright?" McGee asked.

"Where are Gibbs and Ziva?" Tony asked.

"I don't know but Gibbs said that he may try to come by later." McGee replied.

"What about, Ziva?" Tony asked.

"She isn't feeling her best but she will visit once she is doing better." McGee explained.

"She found somebody else didn't she?" Tony asked.

"No she is just sick." McGee assured.

"Believe what you want to believe but she is vibrant and beautiful and I am dying." Tony replied.

"You aren't dying. Gibbs would never give you permission." McGee argued.

* * *

**A/N: The court battle should be in the next chapter. New chapter will be up. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	32. The Trial

As much as Jimmy had wished that he could just skip over the trial. The morning still came and he awoke with a feeling of dread. He didn't know what he would do if he lost Lizzie. She was his world and the only bright spot in all the bad he had been going through. Even though she was sick. She was always so happy and so loving. If he lost her, he would lose everything. Breena would keep the new baby and the adoptive baby would either go to Ed or to another family. He pulled himself out of bed, got dressed, and went into Lizzie's room. She looked so peaceful and happy in her sleep. He hated that he had to wake her up to go to chemo. Even more than he hated the fact that immediately after the session he would have to take her to the courthouse for the trial. He had tried his best to explain what was going on to her but it was a tough subject to discuss with a four year old. It was tough to discuss with anyone but Lizzie was too young to fully understand what was going on and Jimmy had no idea how to answer her questions without making her scared or stressing her.

"Lizzie come on it's time to get up." Jimmy called.

"Don't wanna go." Lizzie begged.

"I know but you need it to get better." Jimmy replied.

"I know but it makes me feel bad." Lizzie replied.

"I know Lizzie." Jimmy whispered.

"Want to see Ducky after." Lizzie said.

"We will go see Ducky later but after the hospital we have to go to make sure you can stay with me. Like we talked about, remember?" Jimmy asked.

"I remember." Lizzie sighed.

"It's OK, you will get to stay with me." Jimmy assured.

* * *

While Lizzie was in chemo, Jimmy changed into a dress shirt and pair of slacks. He knew that he needed to look good for the trial but there was no sense dressing up to fancy. He wasn't going to make Lizzie get dressed up either. She would probably end up throwing up all over her clothes anyway. That's how it had gone her past few chemo sessions anyway. He was still furious with Ed for picking a day Lizzie had chemo. Everybody had tried to reason with him that it was a fluke but he knew the truth, it was deliberate. Ed was that selfish and uncaring. Even worse he behaved that way in the name of caring for his daughter. If Lizzie ever broke down the way Breena did. Jimmy would be trying to help her get better. Instead of fighting with her husband to get custody of their child. What Ed was dong was completely unreasonable. The good news was that Lizzie was released from the hospital as soon as she finished her chemo session. The bad news was that meant that Jimmy lost his way to get out of the trial. Then again if the trial happened today it would be over with. To his surprise Gibbs was waiting for him when he left the hospital.

"Hi Jimmy" Gibbs greeted.

"Gibbs, what are you doing here?" Jimmy asked.

"Ducky wanted somebody to support you but I was worried that his heart would give out if he had this kind of stress." Gibbs explained.

"What about Tony?" Jimmy asked.

"Ziver, Abby, and McGee are with him." Gibbs explained.

"Good I am glad he is getting good visitors." Jimmy replied.

"Come on kid, lets get this over with." Gibbs replied placing his arms around Jimmy.

* * *

Jimmy looked at Ed who sat a few feet away in the court room. Gibbs was in the back amount the crowd. He was the old holding Lizzie, while this ordeal went on. Ed kept shooting him angry glares. He simply looked down at the table he was sitting at. "Be the bigger person, James. Just be the bigger person." Jimmy kept telling himself. The judge entered the room and Jimmy struggled to remain standing until he was told that he could sit again.

"Mr. Slater you are seeking custody of your four year old granddaughter. Because you feel that she is not receiving the proper care and that James ran her mother off. All so that he could have total control of Victoria's cancer treatment?" The Judge asked.

"Yes sir" Ed replied.

"James do you feel that any of this is true?" The Judge asked.

"No sir, I do not." Jimmy replied.

"Edward Slater please come up to the stand." The Judge instructed.

* * *

"State your case." The judge instructed after Ed got up to the stand.

"When Victoria was first diagnosed with cancer it devastated my Breena. It didn't help that her illness gave James a malicious excuse to want to kill his daughter. He signed a DNR and opted to end her treatment. Breena was so devastated that she suffered a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized in Florida. While she was falling apart, James was living with a friend not caring about his wife or child but all of the sudden he cares for her." Ed explained.

"Very well, James Palmer come up to the stand." The Judge instructed.

* * *

"James, state your case." The Judge in instructed.

"Let me first say I do not want my daughter to die. The refusing treatment and extreme measures is to only happen if she stops responding to treatment. The only reason I was not home when Breena was breaking down was because she kicked me out and threatened to call the police on me if I came back. I stayed with a friend until I had the courage to try and reason with her. I have been caring for Lizzie on my own since Breena was admitted to the hospital." Jimmy explained.

"Is that true?" The Judge asked.

"Yes sir" Jimmy replied.

"Objection!" Ed snapped.

"Shut up!" Gibbs yelled from the audience.

"Who said that?" The judge asked.

"I did" Gibbs replied as he shoved his way to the front of the courtroom taking down a security guard in the process.

"Who are you?" The judge asked.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs and let me tell you. James Palmer is an excellent father. He loves his daughter. He fought so hard to get to Lizzie when Breena would not let him see her. He has been doing everything for her since she left. He has done it mostly on his own but he has done it and made sure that Lizzie does not have any idea how much he is struggling. He is an inspiration and it would be a mistake to take her away from him." Gibbs explained.

"Is that true?" The Judge asked.

"Yes sir" Jimmy replied.

* * *

Ed objected to Gibbs's claims. Which resulted in the trial going on for five hours. Gibbs was escorted out of the courtroom. Meaning that Gibbs lost his only ally. Ed yelled, screamed, and called Jimmy horrible names. Jimmy broke down crying three times. Finally the judge had enough.

"ORDER IN THE COURT!" The judge yelled.

*The room fell silent*

"I have made my decision. Victoria Elizabeth should remain in the custody of her father. Edward will be permitted supervised visits at his request." The judge ordered.

* * *

**A/N: Jimmy gets to keep Lizzie but things still won't get easier. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	33. Outcomes

The outcome of the trial had taken a huge weight off of Jimmy's shoulders. He wasn't thrilled about Ed being allowed supervised visits. It was far better than losing his daughter to his demeaning father-in-law but he would much rather Ed never be allowed to see Lizzie again. Things with Ed weren't so bad when Breena was around and happy. She was the peacekeeper, she loved both Ed and Jimmy and they both loved her. Both Jimmy and Ed could make peace to keep Breena happy but when Breena was depressed and angry with Jimmy. The vow of peace was broken and Ed had no problem expressing his true feelings for Jimmy. In the five days since the trial Jimmy had taken Lizzie to chemo twice, handled her a nightmare, and two daytime accidents that her doctor assured both of them was just a symptom of her treatment. What he hadn't done was heard a word from Ed. Not that he was at all sad by the lack of communication. Not hearing from Ed meant not having to worry about seeing Ed. Maybe Ed had given up on Lizzie and was bonding with his other grandchildren. Even before Celia's divorce her husband never clashed with Ed and EJ's wife got along great with her father-in-law. Jimmy was the only one he ever disliked and Jimmy could not figure out why. He was a good provider and he loved Breena with all his heart. He had remained loyal to her throughout there entire relationship. Before Lizzie got sick and Breena broke down, Ed at least saw Jimmy as loyal and a good provider. Now he was just the psycho who wanted his daughter dead. Gibbs had been busy with Tony and Ziva but now that the stress was over. Ducky was allowed to be involved in the Palmer's lives again but he was out of town today. So McGee was over.

"Glad the trial worked out in your favor." McGee commented.

"Me too, it is a lot off of my mind." Jimmy replied.

"Have you heard anything from Breena or her family?" McGee asked.

"EJ keeps me updated but he hasn't called in a few days." Jimmy explained.

"He isn't taking Ed's side, right?" McGee asked.

"He's actually furious with his dad over that. He called for the results of the trial but I haven't heard from him since. No news is good news and he's pretty busy. They have five kids." Jimmy explained.

"Well I hope you hear something soon." McGee replied.

"Me too" Jimmy replied.

"How is Lizzie doing?" McGee asked.

"Pretty good. She's had a few incidents but she isn't near as sick as Tony. Thank God I cannot imagine having a child that sick. This is terrifying enough." Jimmy explained.

"True, where is she now?" McGee asked.

"Upstairs playing." Jimmy replied.

"Do you think she'd like to see me?" McGee asked.

"She always loves a visitor. Just put this on. I don't want her to catch anything." Jimmy replied, handing McGee a surgical mask.

"OK" McGee replied taking the mask from Jimmy's hand.

* * *

Gibbs sat by Tony's hospital bedside. Ziva was downstairs getting something to eat but the two of them had been by his side the entire day. If one of them left the other was sure to stay by his side. He was having a particularly bad day. He had barely woken up in a twenty-four hour period and when he was awake he was completely incoherent and miserable. Gibbs would do anything to trade places with his son. Especially now that Ziver was pregnant. She and Tony should be able to raise their baby together. He didn't doubt that she would be able to raise the child on her own but she shouldn't have to. They would be fine raising a kid without him though. Sure he was the father figure to Tony and Ziva but it was a hell of a lot easier to grow-up without a father than without a grandfather.

"Boss?" Tony called.

"Yeah, Tony I am right here." Gibbs replied.

"I wanna die." Tony replied.

"Don't ever say that again!" Gibbs warned.

"Why? It's true. I want to die!" Tony spat.

"You do not want to die." Gibbs replied.

"Yes I do. I am sick and miserable." Tony replied.

"I know but Tony you have to keep fighting. You have a lot to live for." Gibbs replied.

"What do I have to live for? Give me one thing I have to live for!" Tony ordered.

"Well I wasn't supposed to tell you this. Ziver wanted to do it and she wanted to wait until she was six weeks along but well Ziver is pregnant." Gibbs explained.

"Ziva's pregnant?" Tony asked.

"Yes she is." Gibbs replied.

"And it's mine?" Tony asked.

"Of course it's yours. She loves you." Gibbs replied.

"I love her and now I hate myself even more." Tony replied.

"Why would you hate yourself? You created a human life?" Gibbs asked.

"A human life I won't be around to see grow-up. A human life I may never get to see even be born. It was selfish of me to sleep with her." Tony explained.

"Tony, you will know your child." Gibbs assured.

"No I won't! I am too sick and I hate myself for that." Tony replied.

* * *

Ed Slater sipped his wine and stared out the window. He could not believe that he had lost the case and that scrawny little bastard had kept custody of his daughter. Bad enough Breena was falling apart but now he had lost his granddaughter too. He was supposed to have supervised visits but Jimmy would still have sole custody. It wasn't fair. He was the one who cared for Lizzie and loved her. Jimmy just wanted her dead. He would get her back though. Even if it meant killing Jimmy to get her. Better that monster than Lizzie.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully the team will be able to keep Jimmy safe. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading. **


	34. Fighting

Lizzie was in the seventh week of her cancer battle and had a full two weeks off from chemo. Before beginning another six week round. If her blood-work was good then when she went back she would only have two sessions a week. The doctors were very optimistic that the chemo was doing it's job and it eight weeks she would be given a clean bill of health and that the disease would never come back again. Since Lizzie wasn't sick and miserable from her treatment. McGee would be coming by in the afternoon to babysit Lizzie. So Jimmy could go and visit Tony. He hadn't seen his friend since Breena left and unlike Lizzie, Tony was not responding well to his chemo. Jimmy wanted to see him as much as he could. Just in case things went wrong and he never got to see him again.

"Where's daddy going?" Lizzie asked.

"To see my friend Tony in the hospital. He is really sick and needs friends to visit him." Jimmy explained.

"Why?" Lizzie asked.

"To keep him in good spirits. So that he might get better." Jimmy replied.

"He has the same thing as me, right?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes" Jimmy replied.

"Why he not getting better?" Lizzie asked.

"Tony has some other problems that make it harder for him to fight." Jimmy explained.

"Oh" Lizzie replied.

"Don't worry though. You are going to get better. I just know it." Jimmy assured.

"Good" Lizzie replied.

"I love you so much, Lizzie." Jimmy said.

"Love you too, daddy." Lizzie replied.

* * *

Ziva studied herself in the bathroom mirror. It was already getting harder and harder for her to hide her pregnancy. Her face was puffy and she already had a significant baby bump. Gibbs had told Tony about her being pregnant. At first she was angry but then Tony started showing an actual will to fight. He was still weak and fragile but he was fighting now. He really was and maybe just maybe he would beat the cancer. Maybe they would get to be a real family. Not that a single mom raising a child was not a real family. It was anywhere there was love was a family but she had always wanted the traditional family she saw on TV. Two parents, a kid or two maybe even three, a dog in the yard, or a cat jumping out of places, maybe some of the smaller and possibly hairless creatures if anybody had allergies. A white picket fence and the perfect house. Maybe everybody had their own room, maybe the kids or a couple of the kids had to share a room. That's what she wanted. That's all she wanted. Not a kid she had to eventually tell that his or her dad died of cancer. Nobody wanted that. No rational person would want to lose the love of their life. Especially before their child was born. She slapped the mirror furiously and then turned away. As she went to kick the door out of frustration, it opened and Gibbs stepped into the bathroom.

"Are you ready to go?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah" Ziva replied wiping away a tear.

"Hey, are you alright?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah I am fine." Ziva lied.

"I know you aren't fine. Come here." Gibbs replied.

"I don't want to do this. I want to stay with Tony." Ziva sniffed.

"Ziver, you have been with Tony almost constantly since your morning sickness subsided." Gibbs replied.

"I love him! I just want to be with him as much as I can. Because I may never get to see him again! I want him to see me and the baby as much as he can." Ziva explained.

"I know, I want to have all the time with him I can too but we do need to get away sometimes. Just this weekend, four days with Leyla." Gibbs explained.

"What if something goes wrong?" Ziva asked.

"You and me both have phones and Leyla has a phone in her cabin." Gibbs explained.

"OK" Ziva sniffed.

* * *

Gibbs had a lot on his mind; Tony was still struggling to fight his cancer, Jimmy's familial crisis, and Ziva's pregnancy. He just wanted this ordeal to be over. He wanted Tony, Lizzie, and Breena to get better and he wanted the Palmer's and the DiNozzo's to be a families. This weekend at the lake would be exactly what the family needed. He just wished the Palmer's could be there but Ed's lawyer had gotten a clause put into Jimmy's custody that he could not take Lizzie more than fifty miles from Bethesda. God he hated Ed. He was such a selfish and uncaring old man. If he really did care about Lizzie. He wouldn't be trying to take her away from her father. He would be supporting Jimmy and just being a loving grandfather to Lizzie.

"Come on, Ziver. Let's go." Gibbs called.

"I am not going!" Ziva snapped.

"Come on you promised." Gibbs begged.

"The hospital called." Ziva replied voice cracking.

"What?" Gibbs asked bracing for bad news.

"Tony has a fever and his lungs are wet or something." Ziva explained.

"OK, let's get you to the hospital." Gibbs replied.

"What about Leyla?" Ziva asked.

"I will call her from the hospital." Gibbs replied.

"OK" Ziva sobbed.

* * *

Tony closed his eyes. Just his luck he had a week off from chemo. A week that he could have been out of the hospital and he had a fever and his lungs had a small amount of fluid in them. With his luck he was going to die. That's what he had wanted so bad for so long. Now he wanted to fight so that he could be with Ziva and his unborn child. He was an idiot for wanting to die and now that he saw that it was probably too late.

"Tony?" Jimmy called.

"Palmer?" Tony wheezed.

"The doctors said you were sick." Jimmy replied.

"Bad, fever, fluid in my lungs." Tony replied.

"What's the prognosis?" Jimmy asked.

"Not great, I need Ziva and Gibbs." Tony replied.

"I am sure they will be here soon." Jimmy assured.

"Hope so" Tony rasped.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Tony just when he really started to fight. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	35. Terminal

Jimmy didn't know how to feel. Lizzie was doing great, her cancer was almost gone but Tony, Tony was fading fast. He tried to be grateful that his child was beating the cancer. That when she finished this cycle of chemo, it would almost definitely be completely gone. Breena would be thrilled when she came home. If she came home. She was out of the hospital but still staying with her brother. She was nearing her fourth or fifth month by now and so far the pregnancy was progressing well. The baby boy they had been planning on adopting was in the temporary care of a foster family until Lizzie hit remission. He remained unnamed being called "Baby Boy Palmer" and that needed to change. So Jimmy waited for a day that Lizzie did not have chemo and was in good spirits. To get her opinions on a name for her little brother.

"Lizzie?" Jimmy called carrying a plate of cookies to where his daughter was playing.

"What?" Lizzie asked.

"We need to think of names for your baby brother." Jimmy said.

"I have a baby brother?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes" Jimmy replied.

"Where is he?" Lizzie asked.

"He is with another family until you get better." Jimmy replied.

"Why?" Lizzie asked.

"His birth mommy lives far away and you can't travel too much on the chemo." Jimmy explained.

"I can't wait to meet him." Lizzie replied.

"I can show you a picture." Jimmy offered, taking out his phone and showing Lizzie a picture the adoption agency had texted him.

"He's cute!" Lizzie cooed.

"Yes he is, do you have any ideas for names?" Jimmy asked.

"Little Ducky! Like grandpa!" Lizzie cried.

"Little Ducky is kind of unconventional. How about we call him Donald." Jimmy offered.

"Donald!" Lizzie cried.

"Now how about a middle name?" Jimmy asked.

"Tony?" Lizzie asked.

"Why Tony?" Jimmy asked.

"Cause Uncle Tony has to go to heaven and Grandpa Gibbs and Aunt Ziva are sad." Lizzie replied.

"I bet that will make Grandpa Gibbs and Aunt Ziva very happy." Jimmy replied wiping a tear away from his eye. Telling Lizzie that Tony was dying had been the hardest thing that Jimmy had done in a lone time.

* * *

Ziva had shut her self up in her bedroom at Gibbs's house. She had her legs drawn up to her chest, her three months pregnant belly was pressing her legs outward slightly but not enough to really be noticeable to anyone but her. Her eyes were red and puffy and tears were pouring down her already tear stained cheeks. Two weeks had passed since she got the worst news of her life. Tony, her Tony was dying terminal. The cancer was simply too powerful for his already ravaged body and he could not fight it much longer. He had been on hospice care for a week and a half and Gibbs was getting the house setup. So that they could bring him home to die. She could not believe that the love of her life and the father of her child. Only had weeks, days, or even hours left to live. He would never even get to meet their child. It wasn't fair. She had come back for the wedding, with the intention of moving back to America when the lease was up on her apartment. She planed on reuniting with Tony, apologizing for leaving the way she did, finally igniting their romance, getting engaged and then married, and then have kids. Only dying when they were old and frail, maybe being one of those couples that died within days or hours of each other. Then she got the call that he had cancer and the odds were not in his favor and she rushed back to the states. They had one good day together that gave her their child but for the most part she watched him languish and become weaker and weaker. He was now so thin and frail. She could pick him up but wouldn't because she feared breaking him. Gibbs was trying to be strong for her but she noticed the grief and pain in his eyes. They seemed paler and his face seemed older and more tired. She was losing her love but he was losing a second child. It was not right. It just wasn't. She was lost in her grief when the door opened and Gibbs came into the room.

"Ziver?" Gibbs called from the doorway.

"What is it?" Ziva asked.

"The bed is set up." Gibbs replied.

"Is that the last thing?" Ziva asked.

"A couple more things will come when they bring Tony but the hospice nurse will set that up. They are uh bringing him in an hour." Gibbs explained.

"How is he today?" Ziva asked.

"He is very weak. They don't know if he will make it through the night." Gibbs replied.

"Oh God!" Ziva cried.

"I am sorry Ziver. I wish it was better news." Gibbs replied sitting down on the bed and embracing his surrogate daughter.

"It's not fair." Ziva sobbed.

"Ziver" Gibbs whispered holding her closely.

* * *

At this point Tony was lucky that he could stay awake for more than an hour or two at a time but he was awake when they brought him to Gibbs's house. He had gotten the news that he was terminal about two weeks ago. The powerful chemo had done nothing more than make him miserable. He had tried to fight at the end and felt somewhat guilty for not fighting for so long but the doctors told him that it had nothing to do with his will to live. The cancer was simply too powerful. Dr. Pitt and Dr. Brown had given him the option of attempting another, even more powerful type of chemo but he had decided to end all treatment and die peacefully at the home of his father, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. His real father had, had nothing to do with him since the diagnosis. He didn't want think of Senior anymore than he wanted to die but that's how it was. At least Ziva had Gibbs, Jimmy, McGee, Abby, Vance, and maybe Bishop but still he wanted to be there for him. He was not ready to die but his organs were failing. His kidneys and lungs were already shot. Only his heart was fighting but that was getting weaker and weaker by the second...

* * *

**A/N: Tony is going to die very soon and it is going to devastate every one. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	36. Get Through It Together

Jimmy could not recall the last time he had been so excited. Today was Lizzie's last chemo session. She was cancer free. After today she would have check-ups once a month and her port would be removed in two months or so. Eventually her checks would go from monthly to every three months and then six months and eventually once a year. Even if she reached the five year mark she would still have to have yearly check ups and have her healthy closely monitor but the doctors were confident that she would remain cancer free for the rest of her life. Jimmy walked into his daughter's room and found her sitting up in bed playing with her dolls.

"Are you ready to go Lizzie?" Jimmy asked.

"Is this really the last one?" Lizzie questioned.

"So long as you stay healthy." Jimmy replied.

"Yes!" Lizzie cried.

"Do you know what Saturday is?" Jimmy asked.

"My party!" Lizzie cried.

"Yes, your end of chemo party." Jimmy replied.

"Will mommy be there?" Lizzie asked.

"I hope so." Jimmy replied.

"Me too, Lizzie bear. Now let's get to the hospital." Jimmy replied.

* * *

Jimmy pulled up to the hospital and picked Lizzie up out of the backseat. He was so glad that his daughter had beat the cancer and he wouldn't have had to come back to his place. The pediatric oncology ward was the worst place in the world and the main reason Jimmy had decided to stick with working with already dead patients. He had gotten what he wanted, his daughter was healthy and he wouldn't have to come back to this place. Lizzie's check-ups would be at Dr. Brown's office in the smaller offices at the front of the hospital. As happy as he was that Lizzie had beat cancer. His heart broke for the children and adults who did not or in Tony's case were fighting a losing battle. He was amazed at how long Tony was holding on but his body was still giving out. Jimmy tried to push his pain over losing Tony out of his mind. Lizzie had beaten her cancer and when Tony died he would be cancer free too.

"We are so happy for you Lizzie!" Nurse Miller cried as Jimmy and Lizzie entered the ward.

"Daddy and me are happy too." Lizzie replied.

"I bet you are ecstatic." Nurse Miller told Jimmy.

"I am thrilled." Jimmy agreed.

"is mommy happy too?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes she is Lizzie and she will be home soon." Jimmy replied.

"Good, I miss her." Lizzie replied.

* * *

Jimmy hated to leave Lizzie after her last session but while he was sitting with her, he got a call from Gibbs. Tony had spiked a high fever and they didn't think it would be long now. So he called Cecilia on the way home from the hospital and asked her to come and sit with Lizzie while he went to say his final goodbye.

"I am sorry about your friend." Cecilia said as she walked through the front door.

"Thanks we have known for a long time but it's still hard." Jimmy replied.

"How did Lizzie's last chemo go?" Cecilia asked.

"Great, she is doing great and I am so glad this is over." Cecilia replied.

"I am glad that things have improved since my mom died. Bone Marrow Transplants were so new then and most people died. Of course she never lasted that long." Cecilia explained.

"We really are lucky." Jimmy agreed.

"So have you heard from Breena?" Cecilia asked.

"About a week ago." Jimmy reply.

"She say anything about coming home?" Cecilia asked.

"Supposedly she is coming back this weekend." Jimmy replied.

"Hopefully she will come back. Of course it would be better if she had never left." Cecilia replied.

"Is she always like this under a tragedy?" Jimmy asked.

"Oh yeah but at least now she is finally getting help." Cecilia replied.

"Agreed"

* * *

Ziva sat on the edge of Tony's hospital bed. She could not believe that he was leaving her. She was only five and a half months pregnant and he was dying. They were having a baby girl. She had hoped for a boy. Who would look like Tony and carry on his name and memory but she didn't mind the fact that her baby was a girl. So long as she carried on her father's name and memory. She was going to be named Antonia Grace David-DiNozzo. The NCIS family had already made a video and written letters to her telling her all she needed to know about her father. Tony had made an appearance in the video and written her a short letter but he was too weak to do much. When Tony first came home under hospice care but continued to fight. She had so hoped that he would prove everybody wrong and beat the illness. Unfortunately that was not the case. He had woken up that morning with a high fever. After not being awake for three solid days and not going to the bathroom for a day and a half. Ziva had no idea what she would do without him. Gibbs had made the calls and people had been coming all day to say their final goodbyes. Gibbs came into the room and sat down beside her.

"How is he, Ziver?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh Gibbs! I think he may be gone!" Ziva cried.

"What makes you think so?" Gibbs asked.

"I was with him and he made this weird noise and now I think he is gone." Ziva explained.

"Let me see." Gibbs replied.

"I am sorry Ziver but you are right." Gibbs replied.

"Oh Gibbs! What are we going to do?!" Ziva cried.

"We keep going." Gibbs replied.

"I can't!" Ziva cried.

"You have to Ziver. It's hard but you have to. I will be by your side through it all." Gibbs assured.

"I loved him!" Ziva cried.

"I know you did, Ziver. I loved him like a son and if it weren't for you and little Antonia I would be feeling the same way as you." Gibbs explained.

"Antonia, I will fight for her." Ziva replied.

"And I will be beside you while you do." Gibbs vowed.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter will be the last and will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	37. Happy Endings

Jimmy walked down the stairs and found Breena sitting at the kitchen table. She was reading the Washington Post on her tablet and sipping a cup of coffee. When she saw him she set her things down, got up, and got him a cup of coffee. He shrugged shyly and sat down across from his wife of over twenty years. The past twenty years had, had their ups and downs. The biggest down period was sixteen years ago. When their eldest child Victoria Elizabeth was diagnosed with leukemia. Breena fell into a deep depression after learning that her daughter had cancer and it nearly destroyed the Palmer's marriage. But Jimmy refused to give up on either of his girls and eventually Lizzie went into remission and Breena felt strong enough to come back home.

"Donny! Did you take my charger?!"

"No! Why would I take your stupid charger!"

"I guess the boys are up." Breena sighed.

"Oh yeah" Jimmy agreed.

"Mom tell Donny to stop being a thief!" Jude barked coming down the stairs.

"No! Tell Jude to stop being a lying homo!" Donny snapped.

"Yes I am a Homo Sapian! Meanwhile you are barely a homo Erectus!" Jude cried.

"You would know." Donny retorted.

"Boys be nice to each other." Breena warned.

"You two used to be best friends." Jimmy added.

"Yeah before mom got pregnant with the miracle baby and we were forced to share a bedroom. Then I realized just how annoying and thieving this kid is." Jude ranted.

"And lo Jude wasn't the youngest Palmer anymore and his whole life fell apart." Tori cried coming down the stairs.

"Yeah pretty much." Donny agreed.

* * *

A lot had changed in the Palmer's life in the sixteen years since Victoria went into remission. Thankfully the oldest Palmer child had remained cancer free. Hitting the five year mark just before her ninth birthday. Breena was unwell the day of Lizzie's cancer free party but rejoined the family the Monday after. Announcing much to Lizzie's dismay that she would be getting two baby brothers. After the cancer and near divorce ordeal things remained peaceful for the Palmer family. Aside from Ducky announcing his retirement from NCIS three months after the announcement of Lizzie's remission. Making Jimmy officially the head Medical Examiner things were quiet. When Lizzie was seven there were four Elizabeths in her class. An Elizabeth, a Liz, a Beth, and another Lizzie. Having always hated the name Victoria, feeling that it was an old lady name. She decided that she liked the name Tori and had been called that ever since.

OK maybe things were perfect for the Palmer family. Because two weeks after Breena came back, Ed was arrested for conspiring to kidnap Lizzie. He served eighteen months in prison with a five year probation and mandatory counseling. He was also barred from seeing any of his grandchildren without strict supervision until they reached eighteen years of age.

In that time the Palmer family had grown from three to six. Joining Victoria Elizabeth was Donald Anthony the adoptive son who was now fourteen and Jude Michael who was the Palmer's second natural child. He had just celebrated his thirteenth birthday. The newest Palmer had only been on the planet a very short two and a half months and was a very much welcome daughter Angela Joy Christine Palmer. The newest Palmer had three names because each Jimmy and Breena gave each child an opportunity to name their new sister. Similar to how Tori had named Donny.

* * *

Today was a special day for the Palmer family. Today was not only the day that Tori graduated high school. As co Valid Victorian no less.

"I cannot believe you are graduating!" Jimmy cried embracing his oldest daughter.

"I cannot believe I am Valid Victorian. Dr. Brown said that I would probably be learning disabled. I guess I was slow but I am a lot better off than I thought." Tori replied.

"I am so glad that you beat the cancer and have been healthy for sixteen years." Breena replied.

"So I have to be at the school by five but you guys don't have to be there until six thirty." Tori explained.

"OK we will drop Angie off at the sitter's place at six and that should get us to the school just in time for the ceremony." Jimmy replied.

"Angie won't be there but she is my favorite sibling!" Tori cried.

"Sorry but we can't risk taking her around that many people without any of her shots and besides what I she started screaming? I would hate for any of us to miss the ceremony." Breena explained.

"At least the monsters will be there." Tori reluctantly replied.

"You know that you love your brothers." Jimmy commented.

"I guess so." Tori sighed.

"Now be honest." Breena replied.

"I guess they aren't as bad as cancer." Tori admitted.

"What?" Breena asked.

"When I told Tori that Jude was a boy too. She told me that she would rather have cancer than two brothers." Jimmy explained.

"Tori!" Breena warned.

"I was four and now I would rather have nine brothers than cancer." Tori replied.

"OK but there will be no more Palmer babies." Breena reminded.

"You said that after Jude." Tori reminded.

"Well I didn't have to have a hysterectomy after Jude was born." Breena reminded.

"I know I just like pointing it out because it drives Jude crazy." Tori explained.

"Anyway we may be a little late but the ceremony starts at seven, right?" Jimmy asked getting back on track.

"Seven or seven fifteen depending on how long it takes to get lined up." Tori replied.

"Great" Breena replied.

"So who is Angie staying with if everybody is going to be at the ceremony?" Tori asked.

"The Pitt's" Jimmy replied.

"Ziva and Brad won't be at the ceremony?" Tori asked.

"I'm afraid not." Breena replied.

"Why not?" Tori asked.

"Because Ziva is seven months pregnant and can't sit on bleachers that long." Jimmy replied.

"I guess that is a good reason but I want to at least say hi." Tori replied.

"We can stop by on the way to the cemetery." Breena offered.

"Why not after?" Tori asked.

"Because you need to go to Ducky's grave in your cap and gown. He would be so proud of you." Jimmy explained.

* * *

The loss of Dr. Donald Mallard was the tragedy of the Palmer's life. Even though he died at ninety-two and a half years old and it was peaceful death in his sleep. Jimmy lost his father and the kids lost their only grandfather. Only Tori had met Ed and she only barely remembered him.

* * *

The lives of the rest of the NCIS family were similar to that of the Palmer's peaceful and boring but ever changing. McGee and Delilah married six months after Tori's remission. They had one natural child a son John Anthony McGee and a pair of adopted twins Donald Jethro and Timothy Michael McGee.

Abby married a man named Dustin about five years after Tori was cured. She had one child a son named Anthony Sheppard Thomas.

Leon Vance surprised everybody by marrying his nanny and later adopting an orphan from Zimbabwe Issac Anthony Vance.

Gibbs never remarried or even really dated but he did thrive as a grandfather to his many grandchildren, several of whom shared the name of the son he had lost and acting as a great uncle to the now four Palmer children.

* * *

Ziva shifted uncomfortably on the couch. She didn't remember being that uncomfortable during her first pregnancy. Maybe it was because she was older. She had been thirty-two when she was pregnant with Antonia but was forty eight years old with this baby. Her pregnancy was a shock even to her. She had heard of people getting pregnant at this age but never thought it would happen to her. Of course she also never thought she would fall in love again. After Tony lost his battle to cancer. She became depressed and withdrawn. Only hanging on because of her daughter. A beautiful girl who looked just like her father. A fact that simultaneously made her smile and cry. Holding her daughter she vowed to only love her father and for twelve years that was the case. Than one day Antonia had a severe asthma attack on the soccer field. She had never had an attack before. So she had no inhaler or supplies to treat her symptoms. When her coach asked if a doctor was around. A man raced to the field from off the street announcing that the was a pulmonologist and knew exactly what to do. He saved Antonia's life and while Ziva watched him in action on the field. She realized that he was Dr. Brad Pitt. The man who had saved Tony when he had the plague. While waiting for news on Antonia at the hospital, Ziva and him start talking. Brad revealed that his fiancee had broken off the engagement not long after Tony died. Apparently he too had fallen into a depression over his friend and threw himself into trying to save others. Even though Tony's death was not his fault. They got coffee and one year later they were married. Children were never in the picture for them. Ziva already had Antonia and Brad loved her as if she was his own. Besides they were too old to have babies. So when seven months ago a routine eye exam led to Ziva discovering that she was pregnant. It was a huge but welcome and pleasant surprise for the Pitt family.

"Hey mom!" Antonia cried.

"How are you feeling baby girl?" Ziva asked.

"Great, don't forget I am going to graduation tonight. Freshman don't have to play at the ceremony because of the size of the sophomores and juniors but Jude Palmer will be there and well I just have to see him." Antonia explained.

"I wish I could see Tori graduate but this couch is uncomfortable. I cannot imagine how horrible a hard bleacher would be." Ziva explained/

"It's fine. Jimmy said I could ride with them. They are bringing the Tori over before the ceremony and I will ride with them." Antonia explained.

"And how will you get home?" Ziva asked.

"Jess's sister said she would drive me." Antonia replied.

"OK well be home by eleven, don't drink anything alcoholic and make sure to take your medicine." Ziva instructed.

"I will and I will call when I get there and before I leave." Antonia assured.

"That's my girl." Ziva replied.

* * *

**FIN**

* * *

**A/N: Well that's it. I promised a happy ending and I hope it was good enough. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading. **


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